EU foreign policy chief: violation of religious freedom
“The decision of the Israeli police to prohibit the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday is a violation of religious freedom and long-standing rules for the protection of holy places,” Kaja Kallas said.
She emphasized that freedom of worship in Jerusalem must be fully guaranteed for all faiths, without exceptions. “The multi-religious character of Jerusalem should be protected,” she added in a post published on Sunday on the X platform.
US Ambassador: An unfortunate exaggeration
“Despite the fact that all holy places in the Old City (of Jerusalem) are closed to mass gatherings for security reasons, including the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, today's decision by the Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballi, the Latin Patriarch, and three other priests from entering the temple to give a blessing on Sunday. Palm, represents an unfortunate exaggeration that is already causing serious repercussions around the world,” said US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
The diplomat pointed out that the security rules introduced by the Israeli Internal Defense Command limit all gatherings to a maximum of 50 people, so the four Church representatives did not violate these restrictions.
There are restrictions in Israel due to the war that Israel and the US have been fighting with Iran since February 28.
“The Israeli government's statements indicate that the action to ban Cardinal Pizzaballi from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was for security reasons, but churches, synagogues and mosques throughout Jerusalem are subject to gathering limits of 50 people,” Huckabee wrote.
He added that “for the patriarch, the ban on entering the church on Palm Sunday for a private ceremony is difficult to understand or justify. Israel announced that it will cooperate with the patriarch to ensure safe conditions for Holy Week ceremonies.”
Head of the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee: a slap in the face to all those who support Israel
“Forbidding the Pope's representative to visit the holiest place in Christianity during Holy Week violates the centuries-old tradition of free access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” Armin Laschet, an influential German Christian Democrat politician and head of the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee, told dpa.
Laschet called on the Israeli government to “immediately correct the decision made without any sense or reason” and “ensure free access during the upcoming Easter holidays.”
The head of the Bundestag's foreign affairs committee called the incident “a slap in the face to all those who strongly support Israel in the face of an existential threat.”
Prime Minister of Israel: full and immediate access
“I have instructed the relevant 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 Sepulchre. 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.
