(LifeSiteNews) — The Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem must reach a settlement agreement with the city by late November, a judge ruled Monday, leaving the compound at risk of having properties seized.

The Armenian Patriarchate faces a foreclosure order issued by the Municipality of Jerusalem as a result of exorbitant Arnona Tax debt, an order denounced by the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem as “dubious and morally unacceptable.”

“Israel is waging a taxation assault on Jerusalem’s Christian presence, endangering its very survival,” remarked Kegham Balian, a Jerusalemite Armenian. 

A court hearing originally planned for February was rescheduled for September 29, at which the presiding judge “ruled that both parties must reach a settlement agreement by 30 November 2025.” 

🚨BREAKING: First court session, Jerusalem Municipality vs Armenian Patriarchate, regarding the Arnona (municipal tax) issue.

On Monday, 29 September 2025, the first hearing on the Arnona case took place at the Jerusalem District Court.

The presiding judge ruled that both… pic.twitter.com/56dMGXFVHG

— Kegham Balian (@kbalian90) September 29, 2025

The judge “stressed the importance of both institutions and the need to reach a fair settlement that would do justice to each side,” the Armenian Patriarchate shared Monday.

If the Armenian Patriarchate is unable to come to a settlement agreement with Jerusalem’s municipality, the city will “seize real estate properties belonging to the Patriarchate and put them up for auction in order to collect allegedly disputed debts that have never been proven in judicial proceedings,” according to the Patriarchate.

The Armenian Patriarchate’s compound includes a cathedral and two other churches, a theological seminary, a library, a museum of art and culture, and a private school. It is unclear which properties would be seized by the city if foreclosures move forward.

“It is inconceivable that Christian institutions, whose mission for centuries has been to safeguard faith, serve communities, and preserve the sacred heritage of the Holy Land, should now face the threat of property seizure under Israeli administrative measures that disregard due process,” Christian leaders in Jerusalem stated in February.

They warned that this “reckless move” not only threatens the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate but Christian institutions throughout the Holy Land.

“The targeting of one Church is an assault on all, and we cannot remain silent while the foundations of our Christian witness in the land of Christ’s ministry are shaken,” the prelates exclaimed.

They renewed their denunciation of the foreclosure hearing on Friday, calling for the prime minister and foreign minister to “intervene by urging the competent authorities to suspend the current legal proceedings” and refer them to “appropriate venues.”

“Only by such a course, we believe, can the rights of the Armenian Patriarchate be duly safeguarded, together with those of all other Christian communities in the Holy Land,” the Patriarchs and Heads of The Churches in Jerusalem concluded.

The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches include representatives from Catholic rites, including Latin, Greek, Syrian and Armenian, along with Orthodox churches, including Greek, Armenian, Coptic, Syrian, Maronite, and Ethiopian. Also included is the Franciscan head of Custody of the Holy Land, along with the heads of the local Anglican and Lutheran ecclesial communities.