JERUSALEM. – Arab Christians held a protest action near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

They are protesting against Israeli authorities’ decision to tax the properties of churches in the holy city. Arab Christians approached the Church with a wooden cross, the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent reports from Jerusalem.

Numerous pilgrims and media reports gathered at the church to follow the events.

As reported earlier, Greek-Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox and Catholics churches decided to take “unprecedented step” and closed the Church of the Holy Sepulcher as a measure of protest against municipal tax.

According to Associated Press reports, the mayor of Jerusalem on Tuesday suspended a plan to tax properties owned by Christian churches. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that a professional team would be established to negotiate with church officials to “formulate a solution.”

However, representatives of the Armenian patriarchate of Jerusalem said they had not been formally informed about this.

Protests at Church of the Holy Sepulcher: Armenian News- NEWS.am live

Jerusalem suspends tax measures that led to closure of Church of the Holy Sepulcher