On Sunday, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which according to tradition is the site of Christ’s tomb.
“[F]or the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem declared in a statement. “This incident is a grave precedent and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem.”
Israeli authorities said the patriarch was blocked owing to the ongoing war with Iran and wartime rules which prohibit religious celebrations in the Old City of Jerusalem. “Under Home Front Command directives, life-saving restrictions apply to all holy sites in the Old City—for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike,” the Israeli police wrote in a statement.
However, some commentators noted that the Israeli police have allowed other private religious celebrations during the war. Lahav Harkov, a senior political correspondent with Jewish Insider, for instance, noted that the Israeli police had allowed a rabbi to conduct private religious prayers at the Western Wall.
The actions of the Israeli police were condemned around the world, including by President Emmanuel Macron of France, an historically Catholic country.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a pro-Israel politician, criticized the action, calling it an “unfortunate overreach.”
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement about the incident in a series of posts on X. The posts stated that there was “no malicious intent” on the part of the Israeli police and indicated that Christians would be able to worship in Jerusalem for Holy Week and Easter.
Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem and the beginning of Holy Week, which culminates in Good Friday, celebrating the crucifixion, and Easter, celebrating the resurrection.
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