Netanyahu government bars Catholic leaders from Jerusalem's holy sites on Palm Sunday

Israeli police blocked the two most senior Catholic officials in the Holy Land from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, triggering a diplomatic row that drew condemnations from across Europe and the United States. On Sunday morning, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Father Francesco Ielpo, the Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, were stopped by Israeli police as they attempted to enter the church to celebrate Mass. The cardinal later held the service instead at St. Saviour's Monastery nearby.

The timing made the incident particularly significant. Holy Week, the most important time in the Christian calendar, starts on Palm Sunday and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is revered as the site of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. According to the Latin Patriarchate, it was the first time in centuries that the senior Catholic leadership had been prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the church.

The Catholic Church had already made concessions to the security situation. The traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives, which typically draws large crowds, had been cancelled in light of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, which had intensified in late February. Pizzaballa and Ielpo were travelling privately, without ceremony or fanfare.

The Patriarchate issued a statement condemning the police action as a "manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure," describing it as "hasty and fundamentally flawed" and arguing that it violated both freedom of worship and the historic Status Quo governing access to Jerusalem's holy sites.

Israeli authorities defended the decision on security grounds. Iran had been launching ballistic missiles at Israel, with fragments reportedly landing near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other sites in the Old City. A police spokesman noted that the narrow alleyways of the Old City make it difficult for emergency vehicles to reach the scene quickly in the event of an incident. Prime Minister Netanyahu's office stated there had been "no malicious intent," framing the blockade as a precautionary measure taken out of concern for the Cardinal's safety. President Isaac Herzog telephoned Pizzaballa to express regret over the incident. Shortly afterwards, the Prime Minister's Office announced that security forces would work on a plan to allow church leaders to access the site during the remaining days of Holy Week.

The restrictions, it should be noted, were not limited to Christians. Muslims had been barred from the Al-Aqsa Mosque throughout Ramadan, and Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall had been limited to groups of fifty in a designated enclosed area.

Even so, the incident drew a swift international response. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the denial of entry an offence against religious freedom, Italy's Foreign Minister summoned the Israeli ambassador, and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini described the episode as "unacceptable and offensive." French President Emmanuel Macron condemned it as part of what he called a troubling pattern of violations of the Jerusalem status quo. Pope Leo XIV expressed concern from the Vatican that Middle Eastern Christians were unable to fully observe their holiest days. The American ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee—himself a Baptist minister—described it as an "unfortunate overreach" that was "difficult to understand or justify," noting that small religious gatherings had been permitted elsewhere in Israel.

Within Israel, opposition leader Yair Lapid criticised the government for failing to explain the decision promptly, warning that the absence of a clear statement had left room for the incident to be misread internationally. MK Gilad Kariv attributed the situation to what he called the "unprofessional conduct" of the police, and linked it to the influence of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and right-wing elements within his ministry.

The Israeli government moved to contain the damage ahead of Easter Sunday, with officials indicating that arrangements would be made to ensure religious leaders could access the holy sites during the remainder of Holy Week.