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Israeli Government Wants Church of Holy Sepulchre To Pay Water Bills-- But Legal Complications Exist

By Howard M. Friedman

Asia News reported Friday that in Israel, authorities in Jerusalem want the church of the Holy Sepulchre to begin paying for water that has traditionally been supplied to it without charge and, in addition, to pay for past water usage back to 1967.  Authorities threaten to cut off the church's water supply if  the bills are not paid.  Historically since at least 1917 the British Mandatory Government, the Jordanians and then the Israelis have supplied water to the church free of charge. There are also significant legal issues regarding exactly who is responsible for the bills. While government notices have been sent to "the church of the Holy Sepulchre," no such entity exists. Instead, under a complicated status quo agreement, use of the church is divided among numerous groups. As summarized by Wikipedia: "The primary custodians are the Eastern Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Roman Catholic Churches, with the Greek Orthodox Church having the lion's share. In the 19th century, the Coptic Orthodox, the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Syriac Orthodox acquired lesser responsibilities, which include shrines and other structures within and around the building. Times and places of worship for each community are strictly regulated in common areas." All of this means that if the Israeli government is serious, it will have to reach agreements with the various groups about splitting the cost of water used in the common areas, and will have to install separate water meters in other parts of the building.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on August 01, 2010 (boomark / email).