Israeli Foreign Ministry held a meeting Thursday with Israel's Regional Cooperation Minister Zakhi Hanegbi and Jerusalem Spiritual Leaders.

According to  Chancellor at Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem Hovnan Baghdasaryan, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, the sides discussed issues of concern for the Christian communities, particularly the Knesset bill on church lands and the Jerusalem City Hall decision to tax the church properties.

Zakhi Hanegbi said the bill has been recalled and would not be put on a vote, while a new bill will be drafted which will not endanger church property.

Hanegbi said the forum is being set up to discuss this issue.

Israel is already negotiating with the Vatican in this regard and an agreement may be signed in 2019  and similar agreement will be signed with other Christian communities of the Holy Land.

Patriarchate representatives also raised the issue of lifting the visas for pilgrims arriving from Armenia. Hanegbi reposed favourably in this regard.