Palestine warns of escalating 'Israeli' measures against historic churches

Palestinian authorities on Friday raised alarms over what they described as an unprecedented 'Israeli' campaign targeting churches across the territory, warning that the measures threaten to erase the Christian presence in the Holy Land, according to Anadolu Agency.

The Higher Presidential Committee of Church Affairs in Palestine highlighted “an unprecedented assault on the churches of the Holy Land, led by a direct attack on the Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem.”

“These actions are part of a systematic policy aimed at dismantling the authentic Christian presence in Palestine and stripping the land of its historic religious institutions,” the committee said.

According to the committee, 'Israeli' authorities froze the bank accounts of the Patriarchate on Thursday and imposed heavy, unjust taxes on its properties.

Ramzi Khouri, a member of the PLO Executive Committee and head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, said in a letter to church leaders worldwide, “Such measures severely threaten the Church’s ability to provide spiritual, humanitarian, and community services, constituting a flagrant breach of the historic Status Quo and a gross violation of international law and binding agreements.”

The committee also warned that the threat extends beyond financial restrictions. Lands belonging to the Orthodox Church near the Monastery of Saint Gerasimus (Deir Hijleh) outside Jericho have been targeted by settlement expansion.

“In the past two years, new illegal settlement outposts have been established in the Jericho area, posing a direct threat to its historic and sacred character and forming part of a broader plan to erase Palestine’s Christian and historical identity,” it said.

Officials stressed that these practices reflect a wider occupation strategy aimed at reshaping Jerusalem’s identity, diminishing its religious and cultural heritage, and undermining the Palestinian presence in the city.

The committee’s letter concluded with a call for urgent action from churches and Christian organizations worldwide, urging them to use political, legal, and media channels to defend the Church’s spiritual and humanitarian mission.

“Protecting the churches of Palestine is a collective responsibility and a historic trust,” it said.

In recent years, Palestinian church leaders have expressed growing concern over 'Israeli' demands that historic churches in Jerusalem pay taxes, alongside reports of settler groups attempting to take over church-owned properties, including areas around Bab al-Khalil (Jaffa Gate) in the Old City.