The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem has accused Israeli authorities of levying “unfair, targeted, and dirty taxes” against the religious organization, aimed at reducing the church’s presence in the Holy Land.
The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s X-page says that the Jerusalem Municipality is seeking to seize property that has belonged to it for centuries and auction it off to collect community debts that have allegedly accrued since 1994.
The church says these claims have “never been proven in legal proceedings and have never been implemented through normal practices until now.”
The organization warned that if the confiscation process continues, it could “set a precedent against all Christian communities in Jerusalem.”
“If God forbid the Patriarchate’s petition is rejected, the Jerusalem Municipality will seize real estate belonging to the Patriarchate and auction it off to recover alleged disputed debts that have never been proven in court,” the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement.
