Palestine condemns 'Israel's' imposition of taxes on al-Quds churches
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The Palestinian Foreign Ministry slams the Israeli actions as a "blatant violation" of international law and al-Quds' historical and legal status quo.
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A Palestinian man walks toward the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for Ramadan prayer while worshippers wait to walk along the Via Dolorosa toward the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (AP)
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has strongly criticized the Israeli occupation for targeting the Christian community in Palestine, particularly imposing taxes on churches in occupied al-Quds.
The heads of the Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Orthodox denominations have accused the Israeli occupation of a "coordinated attack" on the Christian presence in al-Quds due to the decision, by several municipalities, such as Tel Aviv, Ramla, al-Nassira, and al-Quds, to tax church properties and threatening legal action following failure to do so.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Ministry said it "unequivocally condemns" "Israel's" recent decision to impose taxes on churches, their institutions, and properties in the occupied city of al-Quds through its so-called "occupation municipalities".
The statement slammed the Israeli actions as a "blatant violation" of international law and al-Quds' historical and legal status quo.
The Ministry stressed that "Israel’s" imposition of these taxes is illegal, recalling that, as an occupying power, "Israel" has no sovereignty over al-Quds, which belongs exclusively to the Palestinian people and their legitimate leadership.
• PRESS STATEMENT • pic.twitter.com/oDKaqma94g
— State of Palestine - MFA 🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@pmofa) June 29, 2024
According to the statement, "These unlawful measures are perceived as part of a broader strategy of extermination and ethnic cleansing that Israel is practising against all the Palestinian People, particularly targeting the authentic Palestinian Christian presence in the Holy Land," especially in al-Quds.
The Ministry warned against the Israeli occupation's "targeting of the Christian presence, which includes systematic persecution and attacks against Palestinian Christians and clergy," in an attempt to undermine the Palestinian Christian presence and transform the struggle with the illegal occupation into a religious one.
It called on "all states, institutions, and international organizations, including Christian and human rights institutions, to send a clear message to Israel to cease targeting churches and their properties."
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also called for "considering punitive measures against these provocative and illegal practices," underlining that nations must align their actions with their principles in protecting the Christian presence in the Holy Land of Palestine.
Church leaders contend that the policy change, which involves taxing their properties, breaks with the longstanding tradition of exemption, an action that will impact the status quo. They further argued that even commercial properties owned by the church should not be taxed since the proceeds support collective services such as schools, hospitals, and care facilities for the elderly and disabled.
It is noteworthy that the Christian population in Palestine is a small minority, comprising less than 2% of the total population in Palestinian territories. According to the US State Department, there are 182,000 Christians in the occupied land, including 50,000 in the West Bank and al-Quds, and 1,300 in Gaza, with the majority being Palestinians.
Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, about 3% of the Christian population living in Gaza has been killed, according to the Palestinian church. Additionally, 13 people, including seven children and elderly individuals, have died due to medicine shortage.
The Church of Saint Porphyrius, the oldest church in Gaza and the third oldest in the world, was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in 2023, which killed at least 18 people.
