Photo Essay: Palestinian Christians and Muslims protest new Israeli tax aimed at Christian properties

Palestinian Christians and Muslims march together to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to protest to a new Israeli tax policy and proposed property law which caused Christian leaders to shut the doors of the church Sunday. (Photo: Seth Herald)
 

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed its doors Sunday due to a new Israeli property law and tax policy that would allow the government to take over church properties leased to private companies, and begin imposing taxes on church properties. Christian leaders protested the move saying, “This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature which were enacted against the Jews during dark periods in Europe.”

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.