The Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed today in a protest by Christian leaders

The church is built on the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection

Leaders are angry over plans to tax their various assets around the city

They are also protesting a potential bill to expropriate land sold by the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches

Leaders of the major Christian sects in Jerusalem closed the church built on the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection for several hours today in protest.

The Christian leaders responsible for the site issued a joint statement bemoaning what they called a 'systematic campaign of abuse' against them, comparing it to anti-Jewish laws issued in Nazi Germany.

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They are angry about the Jerusalem municipality plans to tax their various assets around the city and a potential parliament bill to expropriate land sold by the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.

The famous worship site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed today in a protest by Christian leaders

The Christian leaders responsible for the site issued a joint statement bemoaning what they called a 'systematic campaign of abuse' against them

Leaders are angry about the Jerusalem municipality plans to tax their various assets around the city and a potential parliament bill to expropriate land sold by the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches

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The churches, which are major landowners in the holy city, say it violates a long standing status quo.

The Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and the Armenian Apostolic leaders said the moves seemed like an attempt to 'weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem.'

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a major place of worship in Jerusalem's Old City. Christians revere it as the site where Jesus was crucified and where his tomb is located, and its closing is highly unusual.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is revered as the site where Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and is a major place of worship in Jerusalem's Old City

The Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and the Armenian Apostolic leaders said the moves seemed like an attempt to 'weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem'

Jerusalem is one of the country's poorest cities, and the tax revenue from the properties is estimated to be tens of millions of dollars

The Jerusalem municipality said it would continue to care for the needs of Jerusalem's Christians and maintain their full freedom of worship.

It said the church, just like other sacred sites in the city, is exempt from municipal property taxes and that will not change.

'However, hotels, halls and businesses cannot be exempt from municipal taxes simply because they are owned by the churches. These are not houses of worship,' it said in a statement. 'We will no longer require Jerusalem's residents to bear the burden of these huge sums.'

'Hotels, halls and businesses cannot be exempt from municipal taxes simply because they are owned by the churches', the Jerusalem municipality said in a statement

The Jerusalem municipality said it would continue to care for the needs of Jerusalem's Christians and maintain their full freedom of worship

Jerusalem is one of the country's poorest cities, and the tax revenue from the properties is estimated to be tens of millions of dollars.

Separately, parliament is pursuing a bill that will appropriate lands in Israel sold by churches to anonymous buyers since 2010.

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The bill's sponsor said these questionable sales have plunged thousands of Jerusalem residents into uncertainty over their living conditions.