Overview
- Israeli police stopped Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Custos Francesco Ielpo from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday Mass on Sunday, calling it a safety step during wartime closures.
- Following Sunday’s blockade, leaders from France and Italy condemned the move and the U.S. ambassador to Israel called it an overreach that went beyond existing limits on small services.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then pledged the patriarch “full and immediate access,” and by Monday a joint plan with Israel Police and church leaders secured clergy-only entry for Holy Week liturgies.
- Officials pointed to recent Iranian missile fire, debris found near holy sites, narrow Old City alleys that hinder rescue vehicles, and rules that cap gatherings where no shelters exist.
- Church authorities said barring the heads of the Church on Palm Sunday was the first such disruption in centuries at Christianity’s holiest site, heightening concerns over religious freedom and Israel’s standing with allies.