On Sunday, October 5, the Prime Minister chaired a meeting of the High Committee for the Legalization of Churches and Their Affiliated Service Buildings.
During the session, the committee approved the legalization of 160 churches and affiliated buildings.
The spokesperson of the Cabinet stated that the committee also reviewed the status of compliance with civil defense and safety requirements for churches whose legalization had already been approved.
It is noteworthy that the committee had not convened since October 21, 2024, when 293 churches and service buildings were legalized.
Since the Church Construction Law was issued in 2016, a total of 3,613 churches and affiliated buildings have been legalized out of 5,415 applications submitted.
It should be noted that these churches and buildings already exist and are actively used for religious and service purposes, and that a single site may include one church and several annex buildings—meaning that the total number of “churches” appears artificially inflated.
Furthermore, the committee’s approval is usually conditional upon the payment of all dues owed to the state, and the completion of civil defense and safety measures.
