The head of the Christian Islamic Committee for Jerusalem and Holy Sites, Hanna Issa, said that the Israeli occupation seeks to acquire the property of the Christian churches, estimated at 28% of the city, by imposing exorbitant taxes on church's property.
"Israel is asking the churches to pay 191 million dollars, and it knows that it can not pay for that ... It seeks to control the property of the churches," Issa told Anatolia Agency.
There are many churches in Jerusalem, the most important of which are the Catholic (Franciscan), the Greek Orthodox, the Armenian Orthodox, and other churches, such as Syriac Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Monotheistic, Maronite, and others.
He pointed out that the churches refused to pay any sums to the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem, or any Israeli entity, because of that as a violation of what is known as the "status quo," in Jerusalem.