Church of the Holy Sepulchre shuts over Israeli tax law
Christian pilgrimage site in Jerusalem shuts due to a new Israeli law worth tens of millions of pounds
Christian and Jewish leaders clashed over Christianity’s most holy site this week, after new Israeli tax demands led the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to close.
In an emotive joint statement, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic church leaders took aim at a proposed new Israeli law, worth tens of millions of pounds, saying it was an attack on Christianity.
Describing it as “abhorrent” they said the bill “reminds us all of laws of a similar nature which were enacted against the Jews during a dark period in Europe”.
Christian leaders say the property bill would let the Israeli state claim church-owned land but supporters say it is meant to protect Israelis living on former Church land sold to private developers from the risk these companies will not extend their leases.
It is extremely rare to close the huge church, believed to be built on the site Jesus was killed, or for church leaders to accuse Israel of a “systematic and unprecedented attack against Christians in the Holy Land”.
Jerusalem’s Mayor Nir Barkat is trying to raise £133 million from the Church and this week Jewish lawmakers defended the bill, accusing the Church of “using religion to protest an issue which is purely about money”.
British-born Fleur Hassan Nahoum, a Jerusalem City Council member and Leader of the Yerushalmim Party, who promoted the law, argued that the church was “in no danger of losing any property in Jerusalem”.
She said: “It is about property the church already sold to third parties over the heads of the leaseholders who are in danger of losing their homes.
“We want to ensure that residents are not extorted for a leasehold extension in the future by anonymous third parties and that the church is prevented from making millions on the back of thousands of Jerusalem residents.”
However the Church leaders said it was instead “an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem,” describing it as “discriminatory and racist”.
They added: “If approved, it would make the expropriation of the lands of churches possible… This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature, which were enacted against the Jews during dark periods in Europe.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
