Netanyahu orders access for cardinal to Church of Holy Sepulchre after police block
Israeli PM instructs authorities to grant Cardinal Pizzaballa immediate access to Jerusalem church after Palm Sunday incident citing security concerns.
8:45 PM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed authorities Sunday to grant Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, full and immediate access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, following a police blockade earlier in the day.
Israeli police had prevented Pizzaballa and Father Francesco Ielpo, custodian of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the church to conduct a private Mass on Palm Sunday, marking the beginning of Holy Week for Catholics. The Patriarchate stated the planned celebration was to occur "in private form, without any procession or ceremonial character."
Netanyahu announced the reversal on social media platform X late Sunday, stating he had given instructions to competent authorities to allow Pizzaballa access to the basilica. The Prime Minister cited security concerns as the reason for the initial restriction, noting that "in recent days, Iran has repeatedly targeted with ballistic missiles the sacred places of all three monotheistic religions in Jerusalem."
Netanyahu explained that missile fragments fell within meters of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during one attack. He said Israel had requested members of all faiths to temporarily refrain from praying in Christian, Muslim, and Jewish sacred sites in Jerusalem's Old City to protect worshippers. The Prime Minister stated that due to particular concern for Pizzaballa's safety, the cardinal had been asked to abstain from celebrating Mass at the church, though he said he issued the access order upon learning of the incident.
The initial blockade drew immediate international criticism. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land issued a joint statement denouncing the decision as arbitrary and noting it prevented those "occupying the highest ecclesiastical responsibilities for the Catholic Church and for the Holy Places" from entering.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni contacted the cardinal following the incident. The blockade was described as unprecedented, with sources noting it was the first time in centuries that Israeli police had prevented the Palm Sunday Mass celebration at the church, a site central to Christian faith worldwide.
Israeli police defended the action as consistent with security measures in place during the Middle East conflict, citing restrictions on mass gatherings and controls at high-traffic locations.
Netanyahu also announced Sunday that he had ordered expansion of what he termed a "security zone" in southern Lebanon. He stated he had instructed further expansion of the existing zone to prevent invasion threats and push missile fire away from Israeli borders. The Israeli military had previously received orders to expand operations in southern Lebanon on March 12 amid confrontations with Hezbollah. Netanyahu said Israel was "determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north," referring to the northern border region.