Germany says it warned Israel that blocking holy sites would fuel tensions

By Reuters 1 April 2026, 4:20 pm

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Germany has made clear to the Israeli government that blocking access to holy sites in Jerusalem threatened to make tensions there worse, a foreign ministry spokesperson says.

“I think we made our position very clear to the Israeli government on this matter, even in internal discussions,” says the spokesperson.

“Denying access to the holy sites is something that, in our view, threatens to further inflame the already tense situation on the ground,” adds the spokesperson.

Israel blocked Jerusalem’s Catholic cardinal from marking Palm Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, sparking an international outcry that led Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reverse the ban for the remainder of Holy Week.