Israel Faces International Backlash Over Closure Of Christian Holy Sites

On Sunday, the Israeli government’s closure of Christian holy sites ahead of Holy Week reached a climax as one bishop’s protest garnered international scorn for the Zionist regime.

Major Christian holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, have stayed closed to the public for over a month due to security concerns from the escalating war between Israel (with U.S. support) and Iran. 

Israeli authorities imposed the closures on February 28, 2026, shortly after the conflict began, applying uniform restrictions across all Old City holy sites, be they Christian, Muslim, or Jewish, to protect worshippers from missile threats. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, revered as the site of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, has been inaccessible to pilgrims and most clergy, disrupting traditional Lenten observances and Holy Week services, in an unprecedented move.

The decision gained heightened attention during Palm Sunday on March 29, when Israeli police blocked Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and other church leaders from entering the site for Mass. Catholic officials described the move as “manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate,” noting it marked the first such restriction in centuries. The U.S. State Department raised concerns with Israel over the matter.

Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, defended the closures as necessary “life-saving” measures under Home Front Command directives, which limit large gatherings due to the lack of bomb shelters in the densely packed Old City. Police emphasized that the restrictions apply equally to the Western Wall, Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa Mosque, and other sites.

But even Mike Huckabee, the treacherous American Ambassador to Israel, called out the move as a government overreach.

While all Holy sites in the Old City are closed due to safety concerns for mass gatherings including the Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulcher and Al Aqsa Mosque, the action today by the Israel Nat’l Police to deny Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and 3 other priests from entering the Church to offer a blessing on Palm Sunday is an unfortunate overreach already having major repercussions around the world.  Home Front Command Guidelines restrict any gatherings to 50 people or less.  The 4 representatives of the Catholic Church were well below that restriction.  Statements from the Gov’t of Israel indicate the action to prohibit Cardinal Pizzaballa entry to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher were for safety reasons, but churches, synagogues, and mosques throughout Jerusalem have met with the restrictions of 50 or less.  For the Patriarch to be barred from entry to the Church on Palm Sunday for a private ceremony is difficult to understand or justify. Israel has indicated it will work with the Patriarch to accommodate a safe means of carrying out Holy Week activities.

A key factor in the closures was an Iranian ballistic missile barrage on March 16, during which intercepted debris and shrapnel fell in the Old City. Fragments landed on the rooftop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as well as near the Temple Mount and in the Jewish Quarter. No major damage or casualties occurred at the holy sites themselves, but authorities cited the incidents as pretense for the direct risk to crowded religious gatherings.

Zionist shills on social media like Josh Hammer obfuscated the actions:

(1) Israel must improve its Christian-specific P.R., and the Pizzaballa incident yesterday was another unfortunate unforced error.

(2) If you believe this was anything other than a bureaucratic mishap, you fell (again) for a deliberate disinformation op.

This is despite the fact that this “bureaucratic mishap” was ongoing for weeks despite outcries from local Christians. Moreover, the optics of closing churches is inherently persecutorial, be it during Covid or the Iran War. The Israeli government, being anti-Christian at its inception, was aware of this, but relented as the backlash was so swift following the Palm Sunday incident.

Following backlash, Netanyahu ordered efforts to restore limited access, with Israeli police exploring solutions for safe worship. Church custodians have engaged in ongoing dialogue with authorities, and some services may proceed with clergy only, echoing Covid-era restrictions.