Attacks, prohibitions, and severe restrictions... The occupation suffocates Holy Saturday and extinguishes the joy of Jerusalem
On Saturday, the occupation authorities imposed severe restrictions on the entry and access of Christians to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to participate in the prayers and rituals of Holy Saturday.
The occupation forces assaulted dozens of Christians (clergy, pilgrims, children, women, youth, and scout groups) by brandishing weapons at them to prevent them from walking and advancing toward the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, obstructing the traditional annual Holy Saturday procession. In addition to the beatings and forcible pushing, the forces also used force.
Since the morning hours, the occupation forces have set up checkpoints, barriers, and iron barricades around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and within its main courtyards. They have intensified their presence at the New and Hebron Gates, and along the road from them toward the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (main alleys and roads, and intersections of the Old City). They have placed iron barriers at every point or entrance leading to the church, preventing passage through them. They have also closed the road leading to the church from the Khan al-Zeit road with iron barriers.
From the morning hours until the afternoon, the iron barriers were crowded with hundreds of Christians who flocked to the Old City to perform Holy Saturday prayers and witness the light's exit from the church.
The occupation authorities prevented Christians from participating in and witnessing the exit of the light from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The checkpoints and measures taken around the church also prevented the light from being easily transported out of the building.
Christian churches following the Eastern and Western calendars, as well as the Armenian ones, celebrated Holy Saturday.
Christians confirmed that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and its courtyards were almost empty due to police measures, checkpoints, and the limited number of worshippers allowed to reach it.
The largest number of participants in the Holy Saturday prayers and those present around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre were residents of Jerusalem and the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to pilgrims from several countries. Meanwhile, the number of Christians arriving from the West Bank was limited due to Israeli restrictions on issuing permits.
The occupation authorities also obstructed the traditional annual Holy Saturday procession and assaulted scout groups and attendees.
The Arab Orthodox Union Club in Jerusalem strongly condemned the measures taken by the Israeli police against Christian worshippers of various sects today, Saturday. These measures included preventing them from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre through the gates of the Old City, particularly the New Gate, and setting up dozens of checkpoints in the alleys and neighborhoods of the Christian Quarter.
These violations included denying entry to the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, obstructing the traditional annual Scout procession to welcome the "Light of Christ" toward the church roof, and brandishing weapons at Cub Scouts, women, and the elderly, pushing, beating, and shouting at them in a provocative and unacceptable scene.
The Arab Orthodox Union Club stated: "What is happening is a blatant assault on freedom of worship, a flagrant violation of all the 'status quo' agreements in place for centuries, and a complete disregard for even the Israeli Supreme Court's rulings that affirmed the right of Christian communities to access their churches, especially on Holy Saturday and during the holidays."
The Club added: "It has reached the point where members of our community have been prevented from entering St. James Orthodox Church since the early hours of the morning, and members of the choir have been prevented from performing their prayers, in a dangerous and unjustified escalation."
In its statement, the Club called on church leaders, including patriarchs and bishops, to take urgent action to put an end to these blatant violations of the most basic human rights, foremost among them the freedom to access places of worship and perform religious rituals without barriers, attacks, or provocations."
The occupation authorities recently issued only 6,000 permits for Christians from the West Bank governorates to participate in Easter prayers and rituals, despite their estimated number of 50,000. This means the majority are denied their right to access Jerusalem and perform their religious rituals on the holiest of Christian occasions. Meanwhile, Christians from the Gaza Strip continue to be prevented from reaching Jerusalem, whether to participate in prayers or any other religious occasion.
For the second year in a row, "Holy Saturday" was limited to religious rituals, without any extensive celebrations, due to the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for 17 months.
From the heart of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, within the Old City of Jerusalem, the "Holy Light" emanated, carrying its rays to the Christians of Jerusalem, the Palestinian territories, and the cities of the West Bank. It travels by plane to various parts of the world, except for the Christians of the Gaza Strip, which has been suffering under a war of extermination since October 2023.
