On Tuesday evening, as crowds of tourists and Christians gathered to pray outside of the church, local Palestinian Christians and Muslims marched together from the Christian quarter of the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to protest the new policies.
The tax plan and proposed property legislation was suspended later Tuesday evening. An Israeli committee will negotiate with church representatives to resolve the plans to tax church-owned commercial property within Jerusalem, according to Netanyahu’s office. “This is a victory. We’re celebrating,” Adeeb Joudeh, the custodian of the keys of the church, told Al Jazeera.
Palestinian Christians and Muslims marched together to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in protest to a new Israeli tax policy and a proposed property law which caused Christian leaders to shut the doors of the church Sunday. (Photo: Seth Herald)
Local christians and tourists alike gathered at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Tuesday evening to pray in front of its closed doors. (Photo: Seth Herald)
Christians pray at the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Tuesday evening. (Photo: Seth Herald)
Greek Othodox Priests look on as crowds gathered to pray outside of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Tuesday evening. Christain leaders shut the doors of the church Sunday in protest to new Israeli tax policy and a proposed property law. (Photo: Seth Herald)
A tourist prays at the outside wall of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Tuesday evening. (Photo: Seth Herald)
Palestinan Christians hold up a cross and the key to Church of the Holy Sepulchre Tuesday evening in protest to the new Israeli tax-policey and proposed property law. (Photo: Seth Herald)
Seth Herald is an American documentary photographer raised in Southern Indiana and is now based in Jerusalem.
Courtesy: http://mondoweiss.net