A RECENT move by Israel to freeze the bank accounts of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has been criticised by Christian advocacy organisations linked with the Patriarchate. Protecting Holy Land Christians, another group close to the Patriarchate, said that the issue relates to a long-standing conflict over Arnona, a property tax. For decades, Christian bodies with property in the city of Jerusalem have been exempted from tax. The exemptions were overhauled in 2018, when a narrower definition of tax-exempt activities was applied to churches only — properties used for prayer activities or religious education. The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Orthodox Times last month that freezing the Patriarchate’s accounts constituted “a blatant violation of the centuries-old rights of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem”.
