Israeli authorities closed Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City in early March after fragments from Iranian missiles hit the city. Access to the walled Old City—and thus to the most important religious sites—was also restricted. Israeli officials cited security concerns and said that the Al-Aqsa Mosque was also closed and that visitor numbers at the Western Wall were limited.
The closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during Lent and ahead of Easter has been described as nearly unprecedented in recent history. Church leaders pointed to the church’s historic autonomy under the arrangement known as the “status quo” and criticized the move as an infringement of that order. On Palm Sunday, according to church sources, Israeli police prevented two Catholic leaders from praying at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; the Vatican rejected the measure as “manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate.” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa was also affected; during the Gaza war, he criticized Israel’s military for shelling Christian sites and referenced deadly airstrikes on Palestinian churches.
The U.S. administration intervened in the dispute and, according to Israeli media reports, applied direct pressure on Israel. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing that Washington had expressed concern about holy sites being shut down and wanted worshippers to have access, while emphasizing that safety remained the top priority and that Israel was working on security measures to reopen the sites during Holy Week. Reports said the intervention had an effect: Catholic officials in Jerusalem stated that prayer arrangements for Holy Week, which culminates with Easter on Sunday, April 5, 2026, had been resolved with Israeli authorities.
It remained unclear to what extent police and the military would actually allow Christians access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre before and during the holidays. The Orthodox Church of Jerusalem is the largest local church in the Holy Land, particularly among Palestinians and Greeks, and typically expects large crowds in Jerusalem during this period. While Catholic and Protestant churches celebrate Easter on April 5, 2026, Orthodox Easter (Pascha) falls on April 16, 2026.
Source: ZeroHedge