Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre shut in protest against Israeli policy
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem has been indefinitely shut in protest against what church leaders say is "discriminatory" Israeli policy aimed at weakening Christian presence in the holy city.
The decision was announced by the Churches sharing the management of the Holy Sepulchre Church the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and the Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate.
As Chancellor at Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem Hovnan Baghdasaryan wrote on Facebook, the heads of churches are protesting the Jerusalem municipality's new policy on municipal tax payments for Church property.
The heads of Christian Churches in the Holy Land also protest against the bill of the Knesset's Ministerial Committee for Legislation that would allow the state to expropriate land in the Holy Land leased by the Christian Churches.
The Holy Sepulchre Church will stay closed until further notice of the Heads of Churches, the message by Baghdasaryan read.