Churches in Jerusalem are in dire financial straits and Church-run institutions such as schools and hospitals are in danger of closing as they struggle with a renewed barrage of demands by the city to pay a tax called “Arnona.”

And if the churches collapse, Farid Jubran fears there will be no Christians left in Israel.

Jubran, public and government affairs advisor to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, told The Catholic Register the community there is already minuscule and vulnerable to pressure. Out of a population of near 10 million in Israel, 180,000 or 1.7 per cent is Christian, according to Israeli government statistics. 

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“The continuing presence of Christians in the Holy Land is immensely important,” he said. “This is the land where Jesus and His mother Mary lived. The Church started in Jerusalem.”

Christian leaders are deeply concerned of the consequences and have issued an urgent appeal to the Israeli government to address this issue, which Christians view as a violation of long-held traditions and exemptions.

In a joint statement, the Patriarchs and heads of local churches condemned the municipality’s tax collection fervour, describing it as legally dubious and morally unacceptable. They have called upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ministers of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) to intervene immediately, freeze all foreclosure proceedings and ensure that discussions resume with the governmental committee that was established to negotiate tax arrangements.

“There has been no response so far from the government to the Church leaders’ appeal,” Jubran said

The Arnona, established during Ottoman times and continued during the British mandate, has been levied on all residents of Jerusalem but churches had been exempt until recently, according to leaders of the Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Franciscan Fr. Francesco Patton, the custos (guardian) of the holy places, are among those who have voiced their objections. They have pointed out that since Ottoman times, church properties have been exempt from municipal taxes according to the established status quo. Furthermore, they argue that churches use this right to invest in services to benefit their communities, operating schools, hospitals, convents, churches and houses for seniors among others.

The legal status of the tax is complex and negotiations with the committee have not brought any satisfactory conclusion. In their negotiations, the churches have stressed the invaluable social role they play, contending that if they are forced to close it will place an enormous burden on the state and the communities served by these institutions.

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“If Israel imposes these taxes, several services will be stopped because it will be impossible for the Church to afford these operations,” said George Akroush, director of the Latin Patriarch’s development office in Jerusalem, in a news release from the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). “We already operate at a deficit, and with international support, so this would cease several vital services provided to the poorest of the poor, and they will be the ones who suffer.”

“A fundamental agreement signed in 1993 established diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the State of Israel, and both parties agreed not to change the status quo regarding relations between them,” said Jubran. “However, the status quo clause was not incorporated into Israeli state law, and we are bound by local laws.”

On top of the tax burden, another factor has added to the existential crisis facing Christian communities: the loss of revenue due to the reduction in pilgrimages to the Holy Land since fighting broke out between Israel and Hamas.

“Pilgrims are slowly coming back, but not in the same numbers as before the war,” said Jubran, and renewed hostilities between Israel and Hamas threaten even more uncertainty

The local (municipal) government has already issued an order of foreclosure against the Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which if successful would result in the seizure of church properties. A statement released by the Armenian Patriarchate sounded the alarm that this would set a dangerous precedent and have a profoundly negative impact on the overall Christian presence in the Holy Land. Furthermore, it questioned the right of the municipality to enforce a debt determination without judicial scrutiny and in defiance of a governmental committee established to negotiate such matters.

Jubran pointed out that Christians being such a tiny part of the population, there is little chance of changing laws through representation in the Knesset.

“Even if every Christian votes in an election, we don’t stand a chance of electing a member of parliament from our community, because the number of Christians is so small. This makes it important for the international community to put pressure on the Israeli government to solve our issues.”

Jubran had a number of suggestions on how Canadians and others can help.

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“It is most important that pilgrims return,” he said. “The church is not just a building made of stones. The presence of people is critically important.”

He appealed to Christians worldwide to become aware of the problems facing Christians in the Holy Land, and added that political advocacy by people in other countries would also help.