- On Good Friday, thousands of Palestinian Christians were blocked from entering Jerusalem to observe Easter rituals.
- Christian leaders warn that Israel is eroding religious freedoms that have existed for nearly two millennia.
Israel has prevented thousands of Palestinian Christians from observing Good Friday at Jerusalem’s Christian sacred sites. Following earlier restrictions that barred worshippers from the occupied West Bank from attending Palm Sunday celebrations, Israeli authorities are now refusing to grant permits for participation in Christian Holy Week rituals, including Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.
According to Christians, Good Friday marks the crucifixion of Jesus (p.b.u.h) at Calvary—located inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City—is a central event in Christian observance. Yet, tens of thousands of West Bank Christians have been blocked from reaching the church due to the ongoing restrictions, barring them from a fundamental part of their religious practice.
The Old City, including the area surrounding the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—believed to house the tomb of Christ—has been heavily patrolled by Israeli police. Despite the limitations, hundreds of Christians, primarily local residents and international visitors, walked the Via Dolorosa (“Way of Sorrows”), retracing the path to Calvary under a visible Israeli security presence.
The absence of West Bank Christians was stark. Father Issa Musleh, spokesperson for the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, confirmed that Israel is withholding permits from Palestinian Christians.
He emphasised that the restrictions imposed during Holy Week—including Good Friday and Easter Sunday—mirror those experienced by Palestinian Muslims during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
In protest of Israel’s ongoing onslaught on Gaza, Christian leaders have chosen to scale back celebrations. “This year’s celebrations are limited to religious ceremonies due to the war on the Gaza Strip,” Musleh explained, referring to the Israeli genocide that has continued for over a year and a half. Although a ceasefire temporarily paused the violence on January 19, 2025, Israel resumed its military massacre campaign on 18th March.
“We, the heads of churches and clergy, have all decided to limit the celebrations to religious rituals, given what is happening in Gaza and in the refugee camps of the West Bank amid global silence,” Musleh stated. “All we can do is pray for beloved Gaza and condemn the killing of children, women, and the elderly, as well as the destruction of homes.”
Christian communities in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank have observed these sacred traditions for nearly two millennia. However, increasingly severe restrictions on Palestinian movement now threaten their continuity. Israel’s ongoing murderous rampage on Gaza has become a justification for severely limiting military permits, making it nearly impossible for Palestinians to travel to Jerusalem and other parts of the occupied territories.
Although Israeli authorities claimed they issued 6,000 Easter permits this year, Christian leaders have said that only around 4,000 were actually granted—and often to just a handful of family members per application. More than 50,000 Christians—mainly Catholic and Greek Orthodox—reside in the West Bank outside East Jerusalem, many of whom were denied the opportunity to celebrate Easter in their spiritual capital.
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed at least 58 Palestinians in a single day, coinciding with Good Friday observances by Christians in the besieged and bombarded enclave.
