Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday urged churches and Christian institutions in occupied East Jerusalem to reject Israeli efforts to impose the municipal property tax known as "Arnona," warning that the move threatens the city's Christian presence and its historic and legal status.
"Arnona" is an Israeli municipal property tax levied on real estate based on its size, location and use. Palestinians in East Jerusalem also refer to it as the "area tax," and it is considered one of the main financial burdens imposed on residents.
Abbas sent letters to Pope Leo XIV, Jordan's King Abdullah II, French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and several European leaders regarding the situation in Jerusalem and what he described as Israeli violations targeting churches and religious institutions, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said.
Abbas warned against attempts by the Jerusalem municipality to impose "Arnona" on churches, describing the measure as "a blatant and unprecedented violation" of the city's historic and legal status and "a direct attack on the Christian presence and religious institutions."
He stressed that the international community recognizes East Jerusalem as part of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, noting that UN Security Council resolutions consider Israeli measures aimed at changing the city's character or legal status "null and void."
Abbas also said Israel's actions do not grant it sovereignty or legal or judicial jurisdiction over East Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian religious endowments and institutions.
"We call on the churches not to accept these unilateral measures or enter into any arrangements with the (Israeli) occupying authorities concerning them, given the risks they pose to the legal status of the city and the bilateral agreements in force," Abbas said.
He reiterated that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital remains "the only path" to achieving a just and lasting peace.
In his letter to King Abdullah, Abbas expressed appreciation for Jordan's support for the Palestinian cause and praised the Hashemite custodianship over Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian holy sites.
He also commended Pope Leo XIV for the Holy See's support for peace, its recognition of the State of Palestine and its commitment to protecting the rights of Jerusalem's churches and their historic status.
The dispute over "Arnona" stems from the fact that Jerusalem's churches have historically benefited under the longstanding status quo arrangements from exemptions or special tax treatment for religious and service-related properties, including places of worship, schools, hospitals and charitable institutions.
The Jerusalem municipality says the tax applies only to properties not directly used for worship, such as commercial buildings, offices and income-generating facilities. Church leaders, however, argue that expanding tax collection or seeking retroactive payments violates longstanding historical arrangements and threatens their ability to finance religious and social services.
Churches and Palestinians in East Jerusalem also argue that complying with Israeli municipal procedures or entering into property-related arrangements with Israeli authorities could undermine the legal status of occupied East Jerusalem and be interpreted as recognition of Israeli jurisdiction over the city.
In February 2018, the Jerusalem municipality announced plans to collect hundreds of millions of shekels in alleged unpaid municipal taxes from church-owned properties. In response, church leaders closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for three days in protest before Israel suspended the measure and established a committee to examine the issue.
The dispute has resurfaced in subsequent years as Israeli municipal authorities renewed demands that churches pay "Arnona," prompting warnings from church leaders that continued enforcement could threaten educational, health care and charitable institutions while placing additional pressure on the Christian presence in Jerusalem.
