Palestinian sources confirmed that the Israeli occupation authorities have frozen the bank accounts of the Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem and imposed heavy taxes on its properties, amid denunciations and warnings about the consequences of this Israeli move.

The Higher Presidential Committee for Follow-up of Church Affairs in Palestine stated that “the Israeli occupation authorities have frozen the accounts of the Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem and imposed heavy taxes on its properties.”

In a letter sent yesterday, Friday, to churches worldwide, the committee considered the Israeli step a threat to the church’s ability to provide its spiritual, humanitarian, and social services, describing it as a blatant violation of the historical status quo and a flagrant breach of international law and existing agreements.

The committee confirmed that the assault was not limited to freezing bank accounts but extended to attacking the lands of the Orthodox Church around the Monastery of Saint Gerasimus (Deir Hajla) near Jericho through settlement expansion in the area.

These practices come as part of the broader occupation policy aimed at changing Jerusalem’s identity, canceling its religious and cultural character, and ultimately eliminating the Palestinian presence in the city.

The committee warned of an unprecedented assault on churches in the Holy Land, especially the Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem, affirming that what is happening represents a systematic policy to undermine the authentic Christian presence in Palestine and empty the land of its religious institutions.

It called on churches and Christian institutions worldwide to urgently act politically, legally, and through media to stop these violations and protect the church’s freedom to perform its spiritual and humanitarian mission, considering it a collective responsibility and a historical trust to be preserved.

Meanwhile, the local “Ma’an” agency quoted a spokesperson for the Greek Orthodox Church—unnamed—saying the decision would prevent the church from fulfilling its religious and social duties, affirming the church’s rejection and condemnation of the measure, which contradicts international norms and agreements.

The spokesperson considered this step a blatant violation of the historical status quo in Jerusalem and a flagrant breach of international law, adding that the heads of churches in Jerusalem are in continuous meetings to discuss ways to respond to and confront this decision.

In this context, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned today, Saturday, the Israeli occupation authorities’ decision, affirming that the step represents a systematic attempt to liquidate the authentic Christian presence in Palestine.

The ministry confirmed that these measures aim to disable the Patriarchate’s ability to perform its role in all fields and come within the framework of the open war waged by the occupation on Palestinian holy sites in general and Christian holy sites, institutions, and properties in particular.

The Jerusalem Governorate also considered the occupation authorities’ actions a new crime and a serious aggressive step aimed at paralyzing the church’s ability to perform its duties and changing the identity of the holy Islamic-Christian city.

The governorate stressed in a statement today, Saturday, that the decision constitutes a blatant violation of the historical status quo, a direct assault on freedom of worship, and a flagrant breach of international law and agreements that guarantee churches the freedom to manage their affairs.

It added that these practices come within a comprehensive plan to Judaize Jerusalem and erase its Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity, alongside escalating settlement activity around the holy city.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Jerusalem Governorate called on the international community and the Christian and Islamic worlds to take urgent and effective action to protect the Christian presence in Palestine and stop the escalating attacks on holy sites, holding the occupation authorities fully responsible for the repercussions of these policies that affect the core of Palestinian identity and existence in Jerusalem.

In recent years, the Israeli occupation authorities have escalated their measures against churches and historic Christian properties in Jerusalem by demanding heavy and retroactive taxes, a step Palestinians see as a systematic attempt to undermine the Christian presence in the city and confiscate its properties. In February 2018, the Israeli occupation authorities seized properties and bank accounts belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate valued at more than 30 million shekels (about 8.5 million dollars).