4 days ago - In December 2022, the patriarchate ... East Jerusalem by Israeli settler groups, warning that such actions threatened the Christian presence in the Holy Land. In August 2025, the patriarchate faced another financial and political crisis when Israeli authorities froze all of its bank accounts over a disputed Arnona (property tax) bill. Officials claimed that the church owed taxes on several ...

In attempt to end longstanding dispute, Jerusalem Municipality orders JNF and Greek Orthodox Patriarchate to jointly pay outstanding taxes

August 14, 2025 - “Because of this, historically, the churches have never paid municipal or governmental taxes for church properties whether during the periods of Ottoman, British, Jordanian, or Israeli rule.” · According to Protecting Holy Land Christians, ...

August 14, 2025 - A statement by Protecting Holy Land Christians, a group founded by Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, said the freeze has left the Patriarchate unable to pay salaries to clergy, teachers, and staff.

August 19, 2025 - “The church leaders argue that they have never paid municipal or governmental taxes during the periods of Ottoman, British, Jordanian, and Israeli rule,” advocacy group Protecting Holy Land Christians said in a statement.

August 18, 2025 - According to a longstanding arrangement between Jerusalem's churches and the state, the churches are exempt from municipal tax. But the Jerusalem municipality argues that it has the right to collect tax on church assets that aren't used for ...

August 18, 2025 - Historically, churches in the Holy Land have never paid either municipal or government taxes on their properties; this held true for centuries, throughout the periods of Ottoman, British, Jordanian and Israeli rule over Jerusalem.

August 14, 2025 - The Jerusalem Municipality’s reason for freezing all bank accounts belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem is that the latter ignored letters from the city about its tax debts, the municipality says, responding to a query by The Times of Israel.

August 15, 2025 - The Jerusalem municipality has frozen all bank accounts belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem over unpaid property taxes, leaving the religious institution unable to pay salaries to clergy, teachers, and staff.

August 19, 2025 - JERUSALEM — The Israeli authorities’ decision to freeze the bank accounts of the autocephalous Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and impose heavy taxes on its properties has ignited widespread outrage among church and political circles.

December 22, 2025 - “The church leaders argue that they have never paid municipal or governmental taxes during the periods of Ottoman, British, Jordanian, and Israeli rule,” advocacy group Protecting Holy Land Christians said in a statement.

August 15, 2025 - Photo: Berthold Werner/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0. Israeli authorities have frozen all bank accounts of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem over a long-standing property tax dispute, escalating tensions with Christian institutions ...

August 26, 2025 - The decision by Jerusalem’s municipality to freeze the bank accounts of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate has thrust one of the Holy Land’s oldest churches into financial paralysis, intensifying a long-running dispute over property taxes and ...

August 14, 2025 - "Administrative enforcement measures were taken against the Greek Patriarchate because it failed to settle its property tax debts for assets not used as houses of worship,” its spokesperson office said.

August 15, 2025 - “The Jerusalem Municipality has unilaterally decided to freeze the bank account of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. In our view, the reasoning behind this decision is linked to property tax,” the statement said.

October 27, 2025 - August 6, 2025, letter sent by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to mayors of Israeli cities, asking them to halt tax collection efforts on churches. Some information has been redacted. ... The letter was sent on the same day that the Israeli-run Jerusalem Municipality went to the extreme of freezing all of the bank accounts, a total of about $3 million, belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Church.

August 14, 2025 - “Because of this, historically, the churches have never paid municipal or governmental taxes for church properties whether during the periods of Ottoman, British, Jordanian, or Israeli rule.” · According to the group, the freeze has left ...

August 15, 2025 - “Administrative enforcement measures were taken because the Patriarchate failed to settle its property tax debts for assets not used as houses of worship,” its spokesperson stated.

March 13, 2025 - The local government issued an order of foreclosure against the Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which, if successful, would result in the takeover of the Church’s property by the Municipality, due to alleged unpaid taxes.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, with its headquarters located in the City of New York, is an Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, The mission of the Archdiocese is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, to teach and spread the Orthodox Christian faith, to energize, ...