EU decries Israeli block on Latin Patriarch from reaching Holy Sepulchre as ‘violation of religious freedom’

EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas denounces a “violation of religious freedom” after Israel stopped the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, citing the lack of protected spaces in the area, during a nationwide ban on gatherings thanks to Iran’s frequent missile attacks.

“The decision by Israeli police to bar Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday constitutes a violation of religious freedom and long-standing protections governing holy sites,” she claims.

“Freedom of worship in Jerusalem must be fully guaranteed, without exception, for all faiths. Jerusalem’s multi-religious character must be protected,” she adds in a social media post, without commenting on Israel’s justification for the move.