The Israeli army and police defended Christians' access to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre during Easter

W Easter Christians in Jerusalem faced serious difficulties in accessing 1 of the most crucial places of their religion — the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. Witness accounts and video recordings show that Israeli police and military prevented faithful participation in the celebrations, setting up checkpoints and blocking access to the temple.

Among the detainees was even Apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana. Although he was yet allowed to pass, he had previously been stopped along with others, and around him stood Israeli soldiers showing no action toward letting anyone pass.

Such incidents are not isolated. As early as 2023, akin situations occurred erstwhile the faithful — both Palestinians and pilgrims from abroad — were beaten by Israeli officers during attempts to scope Basilica. Israel justifies these actions on safety grounds, but many Christians view them as deliberately limiting their spiritual freedom and trying to subject them to Israeli control.

An alarming video of the brutality of police officers appeared online. 1 of the videos shows a soldier pointing close at the head of 1 of the Christians. Another material shows a clergyman violently repelled. These paintings aroused outrage, especially due to the fact that they occurred at a time that is especially sacred to Christians worldwide — during the large Week and Easter.

The situation of Palestinian Christians has long been difficult. Although many declare their commitment to peaceful methods and their avoidance of violence, they bear the consequences of Israel’s policy on an equal footing with another Palestinians. In 2024, the Israeli authorities announced that they had issued 6,000 permits to enter Jerusalem for Christians from the West Bank. However, as opposition sources say, this figure was much lower, reaching only 4,000. Moreover, these permits included only selected household members, were not valid for more than a week, and prohibited overnight stays in the city. This meant that the faithful had to cross a exhausting way all day, passing through multiple checkpoints.

The very structure of control and restrictions in movement strikes not only spiritual freedom, but besides dignity of people who just want to practice their faith. These restrictions are peculiarly evident at spiritual holidays erstwhile access to places of worship should be wide open. Christians in the West Bank, where about 50,000 of them live, must number on the favour of Israeli officials to pray in the holy places.

The image adding to this sense of absurdity is the authoritative entry of the Israeli army on social platforms for Easter. The image shows armed soldiers in action, with the wishes of “Happy Christmas”, surrounded by drawings resembling smoke after explosions. For many Christians this message sounded not only cynical, but even provocative. On the 1 hand, an army that blocks access to sacred places, on the another hand, the same army wishes, exposing its military presence.

In the Gaza Strip, where only a fewer 100 Christians live, the situation was equally dramatic. During the large Friday, there were Israeli bombings that killed nearly 60 people. Nevertheless, the local community gathered in prayer in 1 of the oldest churches in the world. Journalists reporting these events emphasized the integrity of the religion of the Christians there, who, despite the force surrounding them, do not quit their spiritual presence.

Along with the celebrations in Jerusalem and Gaza, the rituals of the large Friday were besides held on the occupied West Bank. However, it was not without incidents. In the town of Biddya, in the Salfit region, Israeli settlers supported by the military attacked Palestinians on their own land. The Red Crescent of Palestine reported the wounded. Another incursion occurred in Beita, this time a group of settlers entered Jabal al-Urma Hill, again under the protection of the Israeli army. These events show that spiritual holidays, alternatively of being a time of peace, frequently become a minute of escalation of violence.

The force of Israeli settlers and troops against the Palestinian population has intensified since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023. According to UN data, fresh military operations launched in January 2024 in the West Bank led to the resettlement of around 40,000 Palestinians. Meanwhile, Israel explains its actions with the request to guarantee security, but the reality presented by the accounts and recordings demonstrates the brutal and systematic force on the Palestinian community — including the Christian community.

It is worth recalling that the Palestinian Christian community present has about 185 000 people. About 140,000 of them have Israeli citizenship, 45,000 live in the West Bank, and little than 500 live in the Gaza Strip. It is simply a tiny but crucial group whose voice is frequently overlooked in both Israeli and global narratives. And it is them — surviving at the intersection of religion, politics, and conflict — who experience the most direct effects of this situation.

Easter celebrations should be a time of community, hope and renewal of faith. Meanwhile, in Jerusalem and throughout the Palestinian territory, these were holidays marked by restrictions, control, force and fear. Among prayers for resurrection and peace, many Christians had to face a reality in which their right to practice religion was subject to the interests of the state and the army.

In this atmosphere of peculiar tension, the question remains how long the planet will look passively at the systematic regulation of spiritual freedom and human rights in the Holy Land. For Palestinian Christians, all vacation reminds us that they are a number under force — spiritual, political, and physical. And while their numbers are decreasing year by year, their religion and presence stay a testament to opposition to force and hope for peace, which seems more needed present in this region than ever.