Church leaders in Jerusalem shut the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday in protest at a new Israeli tax policy and a proposed land expropriation law which they called an unprecedented attack on Christians in the Holy Land.

Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian church leaders said the holy site, a popular stop for pilgrims and where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried, would remain closed until further notice.

After the protest move, an Israeli cabinet committee delayed by a week its scheduled consideration on Sunday of a bill that would allow the state to expropriate land in Jerusalem sold by churches to private real estate firms in recent years.

The stated aim of the bill is to protect homeowners against the possibility that private companies will not extend their leases of land on which their houses or apartments stand.

The churches are major property owners in the city. They say such a law would make it harder for them to find buyers for church-owned land – sales that help to cover operating costs of their religious institutions.

“This abhorrent bill … if approved, would make the expropriation of the lands of churches possible,” said the statement by Theophilos III, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Francesco Patton, the Custos of the Holy Land, and Nourhan Manougian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Rachel Azaria, the lawmaker who sponsored the legislation, said in a statement she agreed to delay the committee’s discussion by a week so that “we could work with the churches” to try to resolve the dispute.

The churches’ protest was also aimed at the recent cancellation by Israel’s Jerusalem municipality of a tax exemption it has granted to church-owned commercial properties in the city.

“This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature which were enacted against the Jews during dark periods in Europe,” the church leaders said.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said on Twitter it was illogical to expect that church-owned commercial property, including hotels and retail businesses, would continue to enjoy tax-exempt status.

“Let me make it clear: we are not talking about houses of worship, who will still be exempt from property tax, according to law,” he wrote.

Outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, pilgrims voiced their disappointment at finding its doors shut.

“I am very upset. It’s my first time here and I made a big effort to get here and now I find it closed,” said Marine Domenech from Lille, France.

We see the cycle of hatred, an Israeli Jewish couple murdered, Jewish settlers retaliate by running over innocent Palestinians and burning olive groups, apart from the harassment and humiliation they mete out to Palestinian farmers.

A Jewish man is stabbed in the Old City by young Palestinians, whilst Palestinian children are shot and killed in cold blood by IDF soldiers as they demonstrate. Palestinian houses are demolished so that families pay the price for their relatives and Palestinians and Israeli Jews work out ways how they can disentangle themselves forever. Is this what we have come to?

The cycle of violence carries on and the propaganda and political pitches are played out by both sides. Yet, in all of this, children are dying once again, looking like they are in an eternal sleep as they are laid out on hospital beds in Gaza and within Israel and the West Bank.

Israel deserves peace, of that there is no doubt. But a future state of Palestine must be born with its security protected. It must be born for the sake of future peace and it must be given life without the crushing occupation that seeps into the daily lives of Palestinians. In all of these discussions, we must never fail to mention the fact that the occupation in the West Bank must and should end. It provides no security to Israel and most of all, it destroys hope in the eyes of young Palestinians who have seen nothing but humiliation and occupation. It must end and end now!

Furthermore, the conflict in Israel and the Middle East affects Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities globally. The Al Haram Al Sharif, also known as the Temple Mount, will spark regional tensions if it is continually used politically by the Netanyahu Government. Such tensions when ignited are sadly sweeping into the West Bank, Gaza and within Israel itself, but they play into the hands of those who want to destroy Israel at all costs. It strengthens the hardliners and weakens the pragmatists. But then again, Netanyahu can hardly be called a pragmatist.

Our only call, is that those who truly believe that Israelis and Palestinians can live together, step forward and demonstrate their opposition to the politics of division. For it is only at moments of trauma that cousins regret historical relationship breakdowns and yearn for another chance to repair the bonds. That window of opportunity is fast fading and the future is one which could see many more young children sleeping the eternal sleep of peace.