[[{"content_id":"308225","domain_id":"0","lang_id":"en","portal_id":"2","owner_id":"114","user_id":"24","view_accesslevel_id":"0","edit_accesslevel_id":"0","delete_accesslevel_id":"0","editor_id":"0","content_title":"PLO, Christians slam Israel\u2019s decision to tax churches, UN properties","content_number":"","content_date_event":"2018-02-05 11:22:01","content_summary":"Greek Orthodox Patriarchate says Israel is trying to 'empty' al-Qods of Christian institutions; PA spokesman calls decision 'a new aggression against our occupied capital'","content_summary_fill":"1","content_body":"Palestinians on Sunday strongly denounced an Israeli decision to collect taxes from churches and United Nations agencies in al-Qods, saying the move was aimed at “emptying” the city of Arab residents and Christian holy sites.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n“This is a new aggression against our occupied capital, al-Qods,” said Yusef Al-Mahmoud, spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority government in Ramallah. “The decision is designed to further strangulate Palestinians to fulfill the occupation authorities’ illusions of displacing them.”\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIsrael has handed out fines totaling millions of dollars to properties owned by the UN and by churches, citing a new legal opinion that says the properties are not legally defined as places of worship and therefore aren’t entitled to exemptions from the property tax.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe Zionist municipality said on Sunday that it has started collecting over NIS 650 million ($188 million) from some 887 properties in Jerusalem belonging to various churches and UN agencies.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe PA spokesperson accused Israel of working towards “consolidating the occupation and settlement inside Jerusalem.”\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHe claimed that there were no laws in the world, “other than the law of the occupation,” that permitted collecting taxes from places of worship.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAhmed Majdalani, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, called on the churches and UN agencies to reject the decision to impose taxes on their properties.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n“The occupation regime is declaring an open war on the city of al-Qods, the capital of the state of Palestine,” Majdalani charged.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe decision was a “completion” of Trump’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, he said.","content_html":"

Palestinians on Sunday strongly denounced an Israeli decision to collect taxes from churches and United Nations agencies in al-Qods, saying the move was aimed at “emptying” the city of Arab residents and Christian holy sites.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

“This is a new aggression against our occupied capital, al-Qods,” said Yusef Al-Mahmoud, spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority government in Ramallah. “The decision is designed to further strangulate Palestinians to fulfill the occupation authorities’ illusions of displacing them.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

Israel has handed out fines totaling millions of dollars to properties owned by the UN and by churches, citing a new legal opinion that says the properties are not legally defined as places of worship and therefore aren’t entitled to exemptions from the property tax.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

The Zionist municipality said on Sunday that it has started collecting over NIS 650 million ($188 million) from some 887 properties in Jerusalem belonging to various churches and UN agencies.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

The PA spokesperson accused Israel of working towards “consolidating the occupation and settlement inside Jerusalem.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

He claimed that there were no laws in the world, “other than the law of the occupation,” that permitted collecting taxes from places of worship.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, called on the churches and UN agencies to reject the decision to impose taxes on their properties.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

“The occupation regime is declaring an open war on the city of al-Qods, the capital of the state of Palestine,” Majdalani charged.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

The decision was a “completion” of Trump’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, he said.<\/p>","content_source":"","content_url":"","content_columns":"0","content_date_start":"2018-02-05 11:22:01","content_date_finish":"2018-02-05 11:22:01","content_date_register":"2018-02-05 11:45:55","content_date_last_edit":"2018-02-05 11:45:55","content_show_img":"1","content_show_details":"0","content_show_related_img":"0","content_show_slider":"1","content_show_title_slider":"1","content_comment":"1","content_score":"0","content_recorded":"0","content_confirmed":"0","content_status":"1","content_kind":"0","old_id":"0","tag_id":null,"tag_word":null,"tag_service":null,"tag_total":null,"tag_soundex":null,"attach_token":"2098080998","attach_date_register":"2018-02-05 11:45:34","attach_id":"416727","attach_file_ext":"jpg","attach_file_header":"image\/jpeg","attach_img_type":"2","attach_img_width":"640","attach_img_height":"400","attach_file_media":"1","attach_show_watermark":"1","score_average":null,"score_count":null,"score_date_last":null,"visit_count":"314","visit_date_last":"2025-05-14 07:30:38","attach_title":"PLO, Christians slam Israel\u2019s decision to tax churches, UN properties 2","node_title":"news","ot_node_left_right":"[{\"node_id\":122, \"left\":2, \"right\":53}]"}]]