Orthodox and Catholics in Jerusalem agree: the Church of the Holy Sepulcher remains closed until further notice

The leaders of the two largest Christian denominations in Jerusalem announced today that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built on the site where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected, will remain closed until further notice in protest of Israel's attempt to tax church property in the Holy City.

Representatives of the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches said they were surprised by the decision and accused Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat of upsetting the long-held status quo.

"They are serious about it. They really want to see that something has changed before they open the door," said Jerusalem Patriarchate spokeswoman Anna Koulouris.

The mayor explained that the taxation will not apply to places of prayer, but to commercial buildings, regardless of who owns them.

The Islamic extremist movement Hamas called earlier today for an escalation of the intifada, a rebellion against the Israeli occupation, as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem was closed for the second day in a row due to a dispute with the Jerusalem municipality over taxes.