The Greek Orthodox Church on Wednesday denounced what it called Israel’s “heavy-handed restrictions” on freedom of worship as it prepares to celebrate Easter in occupied east Jerusalem.
Israel police said the limits are necessary for security during Saturday’s celebration of the “Holy Fire” at the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the 12th-century holy site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.
Israeli authorities claim the measures are related to the recent violence in the Old City caused by Israeli police raids on Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site, the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and attacks on Muslim worshippers.
But many Christian leaders, who say there is no need to change an age-old ceremony, believe this is part of an ongoing Israeli policy to drive them out of their homeland.
Every year, the Israeli police restrict the number of pilgrims who can attend Christian celebrations, including the “Holy Fire” ceremony, regardless of the security situation.
‘They closed off the Christian and Armenian quarters on the day in question [of the ceremony – Saturday] and hardly let anyone else into the city except those tickets issued by the police for the Holy Fire,” said Donald Binder, chaplain to the Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem.
“[Christianity] is the largest religion in the world and yet Christians are kept out of their wards of the holy city on their holiest day of the year,” he told Al Jazeera.
Last month, in a joint Easter message, churches in Jerusalem denounced the fact that “over the past year some of our churches, funeral processions and public gatherings have become targets of attacks,” with some ceremonies “closed to thousands of worshippers.”
Israeli police attacked mourners during the funeral procession of Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a Christian who was shot dead by Israeli forces in Jenin in the West Bank nearly a year ago.
With talks between Christian leaders and Israeli security forces breaking down, Father Mattheos Siopis of the Greek Orthodox Church urged “all who wish to worship with us to attend.”
“Now that that is clear, we leave the authorities to act as they please. The churches will worship freely and in peace,” he said.
Church officials told reporters in Jerusalem on Wednesday that negotiations with police over restrictions had failed.
“After many goodwill attempts, we are unable to coordinate with the Israeli authorities because they are imposing unreasonable restrictions,” Siopis said.
“These heavy-handed restrictions will limit access to… the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and to the Holy Light ceremony,” he told reporters.
Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that on the Saturday before Easter, a miraculous flame appears in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher – the most important event in the Orthodox calendar.
The Greek Patriarch enters the Sacred Edicule, a chamber built on the traditional site of the tomb of Jesus, and emerges with two lit candles. He passes the flame between thousands of people holding candles and gradually illuminates the walls of the darkened basilica.
Worshipers holding candles fill the church, and many more gather in the surrounding alleys of the old town, before the flame is flown internationally to Orthodox communities.
“The ceremony has been faithfully held in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for nearly 2,000 years,” Siopis said.
The holy site is in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem, and the country’s police have told church leaders for the second consecutive year that access should be significantly restricted.
Limiting church attendance to 1,800 people, including clergy from the various Orthodox denominations, is a necessary security measure, Israeli police said on Wednesday.
“We are going to regulate the movement of crowds,” said Superintendent Yoram Segal of the Jerusalem District Police, adding that the ceremony will be seen on video screens throughout the city.
Since the emergence this year of Israel’s most far-right government in history, Palestinian Christians say their 2,000-year-old community in the Holy Land has come under increasing attack.
In March, two Israeli men attacked a priest in a church near the tomb of the Virgin Mary.
In February, a statue of Jesus was vandalized by an American Jewish tourist at the Church of the Condemnation, where Christians believe Jesus was flogged and sentenced to death.
A month earlier, dozens of Christian graves were desecrated by two Jewish Israeli teenagers in the Anglican cemetery on Mount Zion, where Christians believe Jesus’ Last Supper took place.
In November, two soldiers from the Israeli army’s Givati Brigade were arrested for spitting at the Armenian archbishop and other pilgrims during a procession in the Old City.