(ZENIT News / Jerusalem, 02.23.2025).- A show of unity has emerged among Christian leaders in the Holy Land as they collectively denounce what they describe as an «unjust foreclosure» of properties belonging to the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem. In a strongly worded statement, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in the region have accused the city’s municipality of taking legally questionable and morally indefensible action against one of the oldest Christian institutions in the Holy City.
The controversy stems from an alleged tax debt tied to the «Arnona» municipal tax, a charge from which Christian institutions have traditionally been exempt. According to the Christian leaders, the municipality is enforcing an unverified and exorbitant claim without proper judicial review, bypassing a government committee specifically established to handle such matters.
«It is inconceivable that Christian institutions, which for centuries have safeguarded the faith, served communities, and preserved the sacred heritage of the Holy Land, should now face the threat of property seizure due to administrative measures that ignore due process,» the church leaders declared.
A Battle Beyond the Armenian Patriarchate
The dispute is not only about property; it represents a larger struggle over Christian presence in Jerusalem and beyond. The Patriarchs and church leaders warn that if the city’s actions go unchallenged, it could set a dangerous precedent for the expropriation of Christian-owned assets throughout Israel.
«The attack on one Church is an attack on all,» the statement emphasized, underscoring the broader implications of the move. The church leaders are now calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials to intervene immediately, freeze all foreclosure proceedings, and resume negotiations through the appropriate government channels.
We desperately urge you to share yet another Urgent Communique. Targeted and crippling taxes against the religious entity of the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem are being unjustly levied. This crushing threat can become a precedent set against ALL Christian Communities of Jerusalem pic.twitter.com/1ZH7sScmvE
— Armenian Patriarchate Of Jerusalem (@ArmenianQuarter) February 18, 2025
The Armenian Patriarchate itself has issued an urgent appeal ahead of a pivotal administrative hearing scheduled. According to its statement, if the petition challenging the foreclosure is denied, it could pave the way for immediate property seizures, legitimizing future confiscations of religious assets across the country.
«This is a clear attempt by the municipality to weaken the Armenian Patriarchate through economic pressure, with the ultimate goal of reducing its presence in the Holy Land,» the church warned.
A Systematic Effort to Undermine Christian Communities?
The foreclosure dispute has reignited long-standing concerns among Christian leaders about what they describe as a coordinated effort to diminish their presence in Jerusalem. They point to growing hostility from extremist Jewish groups, who have been accused of harassing clergy, desecrating Christian sites, and advocating for the removal of Christians from the city altogether.
In April 2023, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, noted a sharp increase in such incidents since Netanyahu’s current government took office in December 2022. His coalition, widely described as Israel’s most right-wing government in history, includes ultra-nationalist figures with open hostility toward Christian institutions.
Among them is Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the «Jewish Power» party, who has a history of inflammatory remarks against Christians. One of his political allies, Bentzi Gopstein, has referred to Christians as «blood-sucking vampires» and called the Church an «ancient enemy» that should be expelled from the country.
The End of a 1,500-Year Presence?
The Armenian Patriarchate warns that beyond the immediate legal battle, the stakes are existential. It highlights that its mission in the Holy Land has been active since the 7th century and that Armenian Christian presence in the region dates back to the 4th century. Losing this battle, it argues, could accelerate the gradual erasure of an entire community with centuries of history in Jerusalem.
The list of signatories protesting the foreclosure includes representatives from nearly every major Christian tradition in the region: Catholic leaders from Latin, Greek, Syriac, and Armenian rites; Orthodox leaders from Greek, Armenian, Coptic, Syriac, Maronite, and Ethiopian traditions; the Franciscan Custos of the Holy Land; and heads of the Anglican and Lutheran churches.
The case now rests in the hands of Israel’s judiciary and political leadership. Whether the government will heed the urgent calls from Christian leaders or allow the foreclosure to proceed remains to be seen. What is certain is that for many in Jerusalem’s Christian community, this is more than a legal dispute—it is a fight for survival in the land of Christ’s ministry.
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