After criticism, Netanyahu’s office says plan being devised to let church leaders worship at Holy Sepulchre

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says a plan is being put together to allow Christian leaders to worship at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

“Over the past several days, Iran has repeatedly targeted the holy sites of all three monotheistic religions in Jerusalem with ballistic missiles. In one strike, missile fragments crashed meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” says Netanyahu’s office on X.

“As a result, Israel has temporarily asked worshipers from all faiths not to worship at the holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City to protect them.”

This morning, Israeli police officers kept Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and Father Francesco Ielpo, custos of the Holy Land, from reaching the church in Jerusalem’s Old City to celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass, leading to outrage from many of Israel’s allies.

“Today, out of special concern for his safety, Jerusalem police prevented the Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pizzaballa from holding mass this morning at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” says the PMO. “Again, there was no malicious intent whatsoever, only concern for his safety and that of his party.”

“However, given the holiness of the week leading up to Easter for the world’s Christians, Israel’s security arms are putting together a plan to enable church leaders to worship at the holy site in the coming days.”