Prime Minister Netanyahu has shared a response to the recent media firestorm that broke when Cardinal Pizzaballa was denied access to the Holy Sepulchre: Catholic authorities will now be granted full access to the Christian holy site. He explained that in the previous weeks, security measures had been tightened.
To protect worshippers, Israel asked members of all faiths to temporarily abstain from worshipping at the Christian, Muslim and Jewish holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City.
He recalled how Iranian missile fragments had struck the roof of the Holy Sepulchre during a recent attack.
When turned away from the church, Cardinal Pizzaballa celebrated Palm Sunday in Gethsemane instead. He described the Israeli authorities’ decision as “irrational” and “disproportionate,” although he later clarified his remarks on Italian bishops’ television, saying there had been misunderstandings.
The situation has sparked outcry from the international community. Countries such as Italy and France responded with immediate criticism of the Israeli government's decision. But it was presumably a matter of miscommunication, per the cardinal's words and statements from other officials. Tensions now seem to have eased.
