Jerusalem Municipality “Freezes” Greek Orthodox Patriarchate’s Bank Accounts – A Renewed Assault on the Church

By Helleniscope’s Editorial Team
Aug 14, 2025

In a move that has shocked the Orthodox faithful worldwide, the Municipality of Jerusalem has frozen all bank accounts of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate — a decision announced on Wednesday, August 6, under the pretext of unpaid municipal property taxes (“Arnona”) on properties not used directly for worship.

According to the Times of Israel (link here), municipal officials claimed they had repeatedly sent letters demanding payment for taxes on guesthouses, cafés, and other Patriarchate holdings. When no payment came, they acted “in accordance with the law” to seize the Church’s accounts.

But to the Patriarchate — and to many who understand the political and spiritual weight of Jerusalem — this is more than a bureaucratic tax dispute. Supporters of Patriarch Theophilos III see it as economic strangulation, a deliberate effort to cripple the Church’s ability to operate: to pay clergy, maintain holy sites, fund schools, and serve pilgrims.

The Bigger Picture: From 2018 to Today

For decades, a tacit understanding existed between the State of Israel and Jerusalem’s ancient Christian communities: Church properties would be exempt from municipal taxation. This understanding — rooted in both Ottoman-era arrangements and Israel’s own early guarantees — was shattered in 2018, when the city unilaterally announced that only properties used for worship, religious teaching, or closely related purposes would be exempt.
Guesthouses, pilgrim centers, and commercial leases were suddenly declared taxable.

That year, under then-mayor Nir Barkat, the accounts of several churches — including the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate — were frozen. The Patriarchs of Jerusalem, Armenia, and the Custos of the Holy Land responded with a dramatic protest: they closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the most sacred site in Christianity, for three days. Only after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened was the freeze lifted.

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A Political Undercurrent

This latest escalation comes at a time of growing tension between Christian churches in Jerusalem and municipal authorities. Some see it as part of a broader pattern: pressure on the Patriarchate in disputes over land, historic rights, and the Christian presence in the Holy Land. In the volatile mix of faith, politics, and real estate that defines Jerusalem, such moves are rarely only about money.

A Call to Vigilance

For the Greek Orthodox world — and indeed for all Christians — the freezing of the Patriarchate’s accounts should serve as a wake-up call. Beyond the headlines about taxes lies a deeper struggle: the safeguarding of an unbroken Christian witness in the very city where our faith was born.

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