Israeli ambassador explained the reasons for restricting the Latin patriarch's access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

In Jerusalem, during the celebration of Palm Sunday by Western Christians, there was an incident with the restriction of access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for senior clergy. Israeli Ambassador to Rome Yonatan Peled justified the police action by strict security measures, which in the current situation apply to representatives of all religious denominations.

According to RIA Novosti, Israeli police officers prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the representative of the Custodia of the Holy Land Francesco Yelpo from entering the shrine. The clerics were stopped on their way to the shrine and were forced to turn back. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office later issued a statement attributing the incident to exceptional concern for the security of the religious leaders.

In an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Ambassador Yonatan Peled emphasized that saving lives was the priority at the moment. He said similar restrictions have been imposed on Muslims on the Temple Mount during Ramadan and on Jews at the Wailing Wall. The diplomat noted that in case of a possible missile attack or other incident with the patriarch, the responsibility would fall on Israel, so the authorities are obliged to take preventive measures to prevent tragedies.

Recall that on Catholic Palm Sunday, Israeli police restricted access of the RCC clergy to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, which made it impossible to hold a festive mass.