Jerusalem's Christians urge church leaders to challenge harsh Israeli restrictions
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem, has been the subject of a wave of global sympathy after Israeli forces stopped him on the way to pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday.
But on our visit to the ancient church in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City the next day, we discovered that some, at least, of the cardinal’s flock feel rather less warmly towards the patriarch.
For weeks since Israel joined the US in attacking Iran, the Old City has been mostly closed off to visitors, with Israeli security forces stationed at the gates and restricting access to the holy sites. Al-Aqsa Mosque remains closed to Muslims, as it was for most of Ramadan and for the Eid al-Fitr holiday earlier this month.
Israeli police have cited safety concerns over Iranian missile attacks, and indeed some debris from intercepted Iranian missiles has caused damage in Jerusalem. But Palestinians living here believe the restrictions are really intended to further tighten Israel’s control over the occupied Old City.
Boutros, a Catholic shopkeeper whose name has been changed because of safety concerns, said that Pizzaballa - a highly regarded and internationally respected figure within the Catholic Church - should have confronted the soldiers who stopped him from entering the church rather than tamely agreeing to turn back.
“He should have found a way,” the shopkeeper told us. “If necessary, he should have prayed in the street.”
After being denied entry to the church, Pizzaballa instead led a service at the Church of All Nations, on the Mount of Olives outside the Old City's walls.
Boutros told us that the Italian cleric had been wrong to allow the church to be drawn into negotiation over the holy sites with the Israeli authorities.
Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem since 1967 is widely regarded to be illegal under international law, a view that was affirmed by the International Court of Justice in 2024.
“By negotiating, you acknowledge the authority of the Israelis,” said Boutros.
He added that the church’s subservient approach had allowed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to emerge as a hero and present himself as a “saviour”.
On Sunday evening, Netanyahu announced he had instructed Israeli authorities to grant Pizzaballa “full and immediate access” to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Israeli police said they had reached an agreement with church officials to enable Easter celebrations to go ahead.
Sunday marked Palm Sunday, the start of the Christian holy week. Pizzaballa’s office said it had been the first time in centuries that a patriarch had been unable to mark the occasion by holding a mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is considered to be Christianity’s holiest site.
In a statement, the Patriarchate said it remained in “continuous dialogue with the authorities, including the Israeli police”. It thanked Israeli President Isaac Herzog “for his prompt attention and valued intervention”.
It also appeared to accept the Israeli argument that restrictions on access to the holy sites had been imposed because of safety concerns prompted by the war against Iran.
“Naturally, and in light of the current state of war, the existing restrictions on public gatherings remain in force for the time being,” the Patriarchate said.
Colonial arrogance
But in the eyes of Palestinian Christians, there is no reason whatever to thank Israel for allowing a handful of privileged worshippers access to the Holy Sepulchre.
For Israel to deny access is a shocking imposition at any time.
During Easter week, when Christians mark the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, denial of entry to the Holy Sepulchre seems a contemptuous act of colonial arrogance.
In the opinion of many Christians here, the religious authorities - whether Catholic, Orthodox, Armenian or those of the many other denominations - have long been too supplicant to Israel.
Critics accuse church officials of being more interested in the status and privileges they are afforded by Israel than in ministering to their congregations.
Boutros said the situation was heartbreaking.
“The church is older than countries and empires. When I was a boy, my father would take the day off to go to the Old City to enjoy the traditions. Now who really wants to come to the Old City to be bullied by the Israeli police?”
As we wandered through the alleyways of the Old City, many of those who spoke to Middle East Eye were reluctant to give their names as Israeli security forces watched on.
We met a woman returning home with her shopping. “Look around,” she told us, pointing at the empty streets.
“There are no celebrations. At this time of year the city should be crowded. They are killing any sense of joy.”
Many here share their sense of bereavement and despair. They feel anger at the excuses given by the Israeli authorities for closing Jerusalem’s holy sites and the daily humiliating harassments and infringements on their freedoms.
As we entered through the Damascus Gate, a young Palestinian man was being frisked by an Israeli soldier.
Israeli forces are a constant intrusive presence around the Holy Sepulchre itself - in flagrant defiance of the longstanding “status quo” agreement which leaves control of the church in the hands of Christians.
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has warned that “the denial of entry of the official custodian of the holy site is a flagrant act of religious persecution, mirroring the infringements on the authority of the Jerusalem Waqf, the custodians of Al-Aqsa.”
In criticism shared by many Palestinians, the ICJP accuses Israel of double standards, saying it “permitted Jewish Purim celebrations to take place elsewhere in the city” earlier in the war against Iran, when the country was already being bombarded by Iranian missiles.
The ICJP notes that “Israeli media has reported intoxicated, young people dancing in the street in costumes, surrounding a vehicle blaring music, to mark Purim. Despite this, targeting of Palestinian Christians and Muslims continues.”
When we arrived at the Holy Sepulchre the door was closed. When we approached too closely, we were gestured away by security guards.
Above the entrance hung an Israeli security flag - for Palestinians, a mark of illegal foreign occupation.
For them, the ban on worshippers is a cruel act of domination rather than - as Israel insists - well-intentioned concern for the safety of Christian worshippers.
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
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