Jerusalem church in dispute over water bill

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, situated on the location where it is believed Jesus was crucified, has had its bank account frozen over what an Israeli water company says is an unsettled bill. The company, Hagihon, claims the church owes them $2.3 million, accumulated over the past 15 years, in water bills. Because of the account being frozen, hundreds of priests, monks and teachers have not been able to receive their salary. According to an Israeli newspaper, there was an informal agreement between the joint administrators of the church and a former mayor of the city that the church would be exempt from water bills. However, Hagihon, which took over the water supply in the late 1990s, sent a demand to the church in 2004 for $950,000 in water bills. A company spokesperson has asserted that Israeli law does not make allowances for such exemptions that the church is claiming. Father Isidoros Fakitsas, Superior of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, has said that an agreement had been reached with Hagihon a few weeks ago; that the different denominations of the church would pay their monthly bill and the previous debt would be forgotten. In spite of this alleged agreement, the account was still blocked. This has affected telephone, internet, and electricity services at the church as well. Father Fakitsas said the church would continue to function and would open a new account if it became necessary.