Macron joins wave of condemnation of Israel’s decision to keep top Catholic figures from Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday

French President Emmanuel Macron condemns Israel’s decision to stop the two senior Catholic figures in the Holy Land from reaching Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday this morning.

“I offer my full support to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and to the Christians of the Holy Land, who are prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Holy Sepulchre,” says Macron on X.

“I condemn this decision by the Israeli police, which adds to the alarming proliferation of violations of the status quo of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites,” he continues. “The free exercise of worship in Jerusalem must be guaranteed for all religions.”

Since the start of the US-Israel war against Iran on February 28, Israeli authorities have, for security reasons, barred access to the Old City for anyone other than residents or shop owners. The restrictions extend to all holy sites, including the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which have been closed since March 6. Gatherings in Jerusalem remain limited to 50 people, provided a shelter can be reached in time.

The police say that the Old City and the holy sites in Jerusalem “constitute a complex area that does not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles, which significantly challenges response capabilities and poses a real risk to human life in the event of a mass casualty incident.”

The force has also said the Catholic officials were told ahead of time that they could not enter the church at this time for safety reasons.