A property tax levied against residents of Israeli cities, including Jerusalem. It describes two payments, a tax collected by the municipality and the tax rate established by local authorities. Arnona is calculated according to a property’s location, its zoning and use, and its size, and can also change annually. The term is adapted from the Latin word “annona” (year’s produce or allotment, rations, provisions) from annus, year.
For Palestinians in East Jerusalem, arnona is very high in comparison to the services that they receive—another example of inequality. In addition, it is used by authorities at the Ministry of Interior and National Insurance Institute as required evidence that one’s “center of life” is in Jerusalem, without which Palestinians can lose their right to live and work in the city.