Christian leaders in Jerusalem are calling on the Israeli government to prevent the city’s authorities from seizing property owned by the Armenian Patriarchate, a move which they say threatens the centuries-old presence of Christian institutions throughout the Holy Land.
In a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the head of the Patriarchate Nourhan Manougian called for church property to be protected from the Jerusalem Municipality, which is attempting to seize assets for what it claims are three decades of unpaid taxes.
The Patriarchate has denied owing taxes to the authority and filed a legal petition to prevent the confiscation of property it has owned for hundreds of years.
“This is a clear attempt by the Municipality to undermine the Armenian Patriarchate through singling it out with economic pressure, with the aim of diminishing its presence in the Holy Land,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
If the petition is denied, it will establish a “dangerous legal precedent” that will legitimise the seizure of assets belonging to Christian institutions.
A hearing on the patriarchate’s petition will be held on 24 February.
The Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches joined with the Armenian Patriarchate to condemn what they called the municipality’s “legally dubious and morally unacceptable” actions and demanded the Israeli government step in.
“It is inconceivable that Christian institutions, whose mission for centuries has been to safeguard faith, serve communities, and preserve the sacred heritage of the Holy Land, should now face the threat of property seizure under Israeli administrative measures that disregard due process,” the three Christian denominations said in a joint statement.
This is the latest development in a long-running stand-off between Christians and Israeli authorities, which for years have threatened to unwind the centuries-old property tax, or ‘Arnona’, exemption enjoyed by churches.
Following protests, the Israeli government suspended legislation in 2018 that would have allowed municipalities to confiscate property if churches didn’t pay millions in backdated taxes, and set up a committee to negotiate the matter.
In 2024, several municipalities threatened to take legal action against the churches if they did not pay the alleged tax debts, leading Christian leaders to accuse Israeli authorities of a “coordinated attack” on their presence.
“Particularly alarming is the municipality’s attempt to enforce a debt determination without judicial scrutiny, and in defiance of the governmental committee established to negotiate such matters in good faith,” the patriarchs said in the statement.
“This reckless move jeopardises the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate and sets a perilous precedent that could imperil Christian institutions throughout the Holy Land.”
Christian minorities in Israel and the occupied territories have faced increased hostility from Jewish ultranationalists since the election of the current far-right government in 2023, with attacks on Armenian people and church property rising.
The community is also under threat from a secret land lease agreement with a Jewish developer, who wants to build a luxury hotel in the middle of the city’s Armenian Quarter.
Armenian Christians have lived in Jerusalem for 1,700 years, making it the Christian community with the longest uninterrupted presence in the city.
