By Lloyd Rabaya
In an attack targeting Palestinian Christians, Israeli authorities have transformed the Old City of Jerusalem into a de facto military zone.
The Old City of Jerusalem holds immense significance to Christians as it is believed to be the place where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.
The Ambassador of Palestine to Zimbabwe Tamer Almassri told this publication that for the second consecutive year, Palestinian Christians in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem have had to celebrate Easter under the ongoing war with Israel clamping down on their rights to freedom of faith.
“The restrictions imposed on worshippers, the denial of access to churches, and the violence against church leaders and worshippers are a blatant violation of the fundamental right to freedom of worship,” said Ambassador Almassri in a statement.
According to Almassri, the Israeli authorities also erected checkpoints throughout Jerusalem, and areas leading to the Church of Holy Sepulchre, and worshippers were severely restricted access during Easter.
Almassri also strongly condemned this denial of freedom to worship by Israeli occupations and said it is very oppressive.
“The deliberate denial of entry of the Apostolic Delegate and Vatican Ambassador to Palestine, Archbishop Adolifo Tito Yilana, is an egregious violation of diplomatic protocols and international conventions, demonstrating a profound disrespect for the international community and religious freedom.
The assault on church leaders and pastors, as well as the despicable behaviour of extremist Israeli settlers who spat and mocked Christian worshippers, demonstrate the depths of hatred and intolerance that the Israeli occupation embodies,” Almassri continued.
Almassri also called for equal rights to freedom of worship to all religions and added that the discrimination of any religion is unacceptable.
“The fundamental right to freedom of worship in Jerusalem for both Palestinian Christians and Muslims must be unequivocally upheld.
The extremist government of Netanyahu and its fascist allies have laid bare their sinister agenda of complete Judaization of Jerusalem, the erasure of its international, Muslim, and Christian identities, and the imposition of a single-religion state,” he added.
According to Almassri, a total of 51 201 have been killed, with the majority being women, while 116 869 have been injured since the beginning of the war, in Gaza.
