Christian leaders close Church of Holy Sepulchre to protest Israeli taxation

The Jerusalem Church, believed to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, was closed Sunday indefinitely. Leaders of the Catholic, Greek and Armenian denominations said they were protesting Israel’s “unfair tax policies” and a proposed Land Appropriation law. It was not clear when the doors to the ancient building would be reopened.

The Jerusalem municipality says it continues to care for Christians needs and their full freedom of worship but “hotels, halls and businesses cannot be exempt from municipal taxes simply because they are owned by the churches.”

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18 thoughts on “Christian leaders close Church of Holy Sepulchre to protest Israeli taxation

  • Feb 25, 2018 @ 13:35 at 13:35
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    Mizrachi for example are a business, hall, and accommodate… But are classified as Amuta…

    Something strange with the municipality here… Anyway… Why would the church want to use state issued funds when they can go crypto? Like me… Everyone… It’s time to go Litecoin bitcoin…

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  • Feb 25, 2018 @ 15:03 at 15:03
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    You lies. Why you don’t say the “authorities” without legal authority , are trying to expropriate the terrains!

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  • Feb 25, 2018 @ 15:13 at 15:13
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    Israel is a Nation for Jew’s. Xtians have the V atican. Return our artifacts you stole from the Temple.

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    • Feb 25, 2018 @ 16:29 at 16:29
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      No.Israel is a people. A holy people. A kingdom of priests. the jews are a curse and a laughingstock, liars and outcasts.

      The Covenant of David and of Solomon is CONDITIONAL.

      For a priest’s lips shall guard knowledge, and teaching should be sought from his mouth, for he is a messenger of the Lord of Hosts.
      But you have turned aside from the way. You caused many to stumble in the Torah. You corrupted the covenant of the Levites, said the Lord of Hosts.
      And now I, too, have made you contemptible and low to the entire people according to how you do not keep My ways and [how] you show favoritism in the Torah.
      Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us? Why should we betray, each one his brother, to profane the convenant of our forefathers?
      Judah has dealt treacherously], and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holy one of the Lord [in] that he loved and married the daughter of a foreign god.

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      • Feb 25, 2018 @ 21:04 at 21:04
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        I am a Bible believing Christian and the unconditional Abrahamic covenant trumps the conditional Mosaic and Davidic covenants (which also contain uncondtional clauses aside the conditional ones) as you hate-spewing propaganda-fed anti-Semite would know by reading Paul’s words in Galatians 4.

        The Roman Catholic Church is about as “Christian” as Donald Duck and would fain tax the whole world if it could.
        The land belongs to the Jews because God gave it to them, not to a bunch of robe-totting Gentiles from Rome.
        I am a Gentile Christian who believes the New Testament.

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        • Feb 26, 2018 @ 1:17 at 1:17
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          The Abrahamic covenant was conditional. He had to prove that he is willing to sacrifice his only son…

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          • Feb 26, 2018 @ 2:09 at 2:09
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            No sir, the unconditional covenant is made with Abraham in Genesis 15 while he was ASLEEP decades before Genesis 22 when he offered up Isaac. Besides, though a blessing is granted as a result of his faith in offerring up his son, yet no mention is there made of a covenant.

  • Feb 25, 2018 @ 15:35 at 15:35
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    Church and business, just like church and state, is a bad mix.

    “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s”.

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    • Feb 25, 2018 @ 16:31 at 16:31
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      they have bitcoin.

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  • Feb 25, 2018 @ 18:27 at 18:27
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    Is this like a sequel to the second coming? I mean like the Jews want to take over Jerusalem just like when Jesus came? Sounds almost identical?

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  • Feb 25, 2018 @ 20:32 at 20:32
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    This is obvious a municipal matter not political.

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  • Feb 25, 2018 @ 21:01 at 21:01
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    the church is a big tax evasion club.
    The “holy see” pays no taxes at all and their companies also don’t pay taxes.
    So Israel tax the church as they deserve.

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  • Feb 25, 2018 @ 21:03 at 21:03
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    I guess it is anona, the city tax which covers waste removal and other city services.
    It is absolutely fair for the church to pay it as they also produce waste and want it removed.

    So make them pay and collect the tax.

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  • Feb 26, 2018 @ 1:42 at 1:42
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    Is it possible that the Church of Holy Sepulchre has the location of Jesus’ crucifixion in error?

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  • Feb 26, 2018 @ 6:45 at 6:45
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    Pay for services. Doesn’t the church want tithes? The employees that remove trash etc paytithes on income for work. Duh

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  • Feb 26, 2018 @ 7:15 at 7:15
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    Respecting duly appointed secular authority, as Jesus instructs, includes paying taxes. They’re not being asked to pay taxes on business enterprise that others don’t also pay. Pay the taxes.

    The expropriate of church-owned land is a whole other kettle of fish.

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  • Feb 26, 2018 @ 14:13 at 14:13
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    If every religious group and their many holdings beyond the official place of worship claimed they were a tax exempt, that would deplete the coffers of Israel by a lot.

    There was a Temple tax in ancient times and today, “As per the amendment, all religious prayer halls are exempt of property tax, while other facilities – classrooms, offices and event halls – are taxed as usual.”

    So this same formula should be applied to Christian churches which, like shuls, should be tax exempt but their other holdings, like the facilities beyond the formal place of worship, ought to be taxed.

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  • Feb 27, 2018 @ 5:30 at 5:30
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    The Garden Tomb next to Golgotha is the true site of the tomb. The Church of the Sepulchre was identified over 300 years after the event in a contest held by Constantine’s mother like unto Amazon locating a new headquarters.

    Reply

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