Jerusalem holds religious significance for Christians, Jews and Muslims. AFP
In messages addressed to King Abdullah II of Jordan, French President Emmanuel Macron, Pope Leo XIV, the prime ministers of Greece, Spain, Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom, the President of Russia, and the United Nations Secretary-General, Abbas warned against Israel’s attempt to impose the municipal property tax known as "Arnona" on churches, WAFA reported.
He described the move as "an unprecedented and flagrant violation of the historic and legal status quo governing the holy sites, as well as a direct attack on the Christian presence and religious institutions in occupied East Jerusalem."
According to WAFA, Abbas said Jerusalem enjoys a special legal status under international law, supported by the international community since the 1947 UN Partition Plan, and reiterated that East Jerusalem is "an integral part of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967."
He also cited UN Security Council resolutions 242, 252, 267, 338, 476, 478, and 2334, which "affirm that the acquisition of territory by force is inadmissible and that all unilateral Israeli measures aimed at altering the character, legal status, demographic composition, or institutions of Jerusalem are null and void and without legal effect."
Abbas said "no measure taken by the occupying power can be interpreted as granting Israel sovereignty or legal jurisdiction over occupied East Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites and endowments," and urged churches not to accept unilateral measures or enter into arrangements with Israeli authorities, warning that "doing so would jeopardize the city's legal status and existing bilateral agreements."
He reaffirmed that "the establishment of an independent, sovereign State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, remains the only path toward achieving a just and lasting peace, as well as security and stability in the region and the world."
In his letter to King Abdullah II, Abbas expressed his "deep appreciation for the Jordanian monarch's steadfast support for the Palestinian cause and for Jordan's historic Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem."
He also praised Jordan’s support for the two-state solution.
In his message to Pope Leo XIV, Abbas expressed "gratitude for the Pope's continued efforts to advance a just and lasting peace," and commended the Holy See’s recognition of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders.
Abbas also praised the positions of the addressed world leaders and the United Nations Secretary-General, according to WAFA, expressing hope that their governments would continue diplomatic efforts to halt what he described as unilateral Israeli measures.
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