Binyamin Netanyahu: full and immediate access
“I have directed the appropriate authorities to grant the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, full and immediate access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem,” said Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu late on Sunday evening.
“Over the past few days, Iran has repeatedly attacked holy sites of all three monotheistic religions in Jerusalem with ballistic missiles. During one of the attacks, fragments of the missile fell just a few meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. To ensure the safety of worshipers, Israel has asked followers of all religions to temporarily refrain from attending services at Christian, Muslim and Jewish holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem,” Netanyahu said.
“Today, out of particular concern for his safety, Cardinal Pizzaballa was asked to refrain from celebrating Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Although I understand this concern, as soon as I learned about the incident with Cardinal Pizzaballa, I instructed the authorities to allow the patriarch to celebrate services in accordance with his wishes,” wrote the Israeli prime minister.
