Executive Director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, has addressed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, voicing deep concern over the future of the Christian presence in Jerusalem and the Holy Land.
In the letter, CMEP highlighted growing threats to Christian communities, particularly in light of Israel’s decision to seize properties belonging to the Armenian Patriarchate under the pretext of unpaid taxes spanning several years.
The organization also voiced concerns over the actions by the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem, which violate the Status Quo agreement by imposing taxes on church properties and freezing the bank accounts of the Franciscans, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, and other religious institutions.
The letter referenced a statement by the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem rejecting these tax policies, which previously led to the 2018 closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It called on the U.S. administration to take urgent steps to safeguard the Christian presence, which remains under increasing pressure due to Israeli policies.
CMEP warned that the ongoing crisis surrounding the Armenian Church could accelerate the decline of Jerusalem’s Christian identity and force further emigration, particularly as many churches face severe financial strain. The additional burden of unjust taxation, the letter stressed, could ultimately lead to the closure of churches. This is not only an attack on the Armenian church but a threat to all Christians in Jerusalem and around the world.
Full Letter Below:
Friday, February 21, 2025
Dear Secretary of State Marco Rubio:
In light of your recent visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, I write on behalf of the organization that I lead to share our grave concern about Christians in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) has been in existence for more than forty years and consists of thirty-six member communions who represent more than 80 million American Christians of different Christian denominations from the Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, and Peace church families.
• In 2018, CMEP and our member communions raised the alarm about how “The Future of Christians in the Holy Land was in Peril.” Today, we do so again in light of the alarming news earlier this week that the Armenian Patriarchate is facing foreclosure based on the same issues that challenged the churches of Jerusalem seven years ago.
We restate here the concerns that CMEP raised in 2018, which remain all the more relevant: “Christian leaders in Jerusalem received word the municipality intended to break a centuries-long status quo agreement and would begin to collect taxes on church properties not used as houses of worship. [Their statement in response is available here.] Nir Barkat, the mayor of the Jerusalem Municipality, claims the churches owe taxes in arrears of roughly ₪650 million Israeli Shekels, or approximately $186 million U.S. dollars. CMEP is receiving reports that a total hold has been placed on the bank accounts of the Franciscans and partial holds on the bank accounts of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox churches.
Today, in February 2025, these same Arnona Tax issues and the breaking of the status quo are once again being brought into play.
On February 25, 2018, for the first time since 1990, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed its doors in protest. The Heads of Churches act as the stewards of the Holy Sepulchre. A statement released the same day asserts that the decision of the municipality of Jerusalem “is contrary to the historic position of the Churches within the Holy City of Jerusalem and their relationship with the civil authorities. These actions breach existing agreements and international obligations which guarantee the rights and the privileges of the Churches, in what seems as an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem.”
After the closing of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 2018, Prime Minister Netanyahu assured the Christian community of Jerusalem he would intervene, appointing a committee to negotiate between them and the Jerusalem municipality. However, delays, increased pressure against numerous church communities, and stalling have brought us to where we are today, where the church community, especially those in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City at this moment, are more under threat than ever before. A community of Jesus that has thrived in the sacred city for centuries is now facing possible eradication unless the U.S. and other international actors intervene and demand that the sacred nature of Jerusalem as a place of worship for all three Abrahamic traditions be preserved and protected.
We once again call on you and the Trump Administration to protect the Christian presence in Jerusalem. This attack against the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate and the Christian community in Jerusalem is unacceptable. Should the decision by the Jerusalem municipality and the foreclosure of the Armenian Patriarchate properties move forward, it would contribute to the deterioration of the Christian character of the sacred city of Jerusalem. It is not hyperbolic to say that unless something changes, there soon could be no living and breathing vibrant Christian presence in the very birthplace of our faith. With many churches in Jerusalem already experiencing financial hardship, the added strain of illegitimate taxes would almost certainly cause them to close their doors. This is not just an attack on the Armenian church but on all Christians in Jerusalem and an attack on the Christian community around the world.
May God go before you and all in preserving the dignity of all religious traditions in the city of peace, particularly that of our Christian faith for those of us who identify as followers of Jesus.
I am grateful for your attention to this critical plea.
In the name of Christ Jesus,
Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon
Executive Director
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
