Zionist authorities freeze bank accounts of the Orthodox Patriarchate in Al-Quds

The Supreme Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine said, “The Israeli occupation authorities have frozen the accounts of the Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem and imposed heavy taxes on its assets.”

In a letter sent on Friday to churches around the world, the committee described the Zionist regime’s action as a direct threat to the Church’s ability to provide spiritual, humanitarian, and community services.

The committee said the measure represents a flagrant violation of the historical status quo and an outright breach of international law and existing agreements.

The committee further noted that the attack extends beyond freezing accounts to include assaults on the Orthodox Church’s lands surrounding St. Gerasimos Monastery (Deir Hajla) near Jericho through ongoing settler expansion in the area.

These practices are part of a broader occupation policy aimed at altering the identity of Al-Quds and erasing its religious and cultural character, ultimately undermining the Palestinian presence in the city, the committee added.

The committee warned of an unprecedented assault on churches in the Holy Land, with the Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem at the forefront, stressing that these actions constitute a systematic policy to weaken authentic Christian presence in Palestine and empty the land of its religious institutions.

It called on churches and Christian institutions worldwide to take urgent political, legal, and media action to halt these violations and safeguard the Church’s freedom to carry out its spiritual and humanitarian mission, emphasizing that this is a collective responsibility and a historical trust to be preserved.

Meanwhile, the Al-Quds Governorate described the Israeli measures as “a new crime and a dangerous aggressive step aimed at paralyzing the Church’s ability to perform its duties and altering the identity of the sacred city of Jerusalem.”

In a statement on Saturday, the governorate said the decision constitutes a blatant violation of the historical status quo, a direct assault on freedom of worship, and a flagrant breach of international law and agreements guaranteeing churches the freedom to manage their affairs.

The statement added that these practices are part of a comprehensive plan to Judaize Al-Quds and erase its Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity, alongside escalating settlement activity around the holy city.