Israeli Restrictions For 'Holy Fire' Rites Spark Christian Outrage

Christians celebrated their “Holy Fire” ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Saturday against a backdrop of rising tensions with Israel, which imposed new restrictions on attendance this year that it said were needed for safety, Joseph Krauss reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: Tensions have risen with the local Christian community, most of whom are Palestinian Christians, in recent years.

Israel says it wants to prevent another disaster after a crowd stampede at a packed Jewish holy site last year left 45 people dead, all because of limited passages to and from the area controlled by conservative Jews.

Christian leaders say there’s no need to alter a ceremony that has been held for centuries. It wants to limit participants to 4,000, with 1,800 inside the basilica itself.

Church leaders rejected any restrictions on principle, saying they infringe on religious freedom.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, like Al-Aqsa, is governed by a decades-old set of informal arrangements known as the status quo. As at Al-Aqsa, seemingly minor violations have ignited violence, including notorious brawls between monks of different denominations.

In a statement released earlier this month, the Greek Patriarchate said it was “fed up with police restrictions on freedom to worship.”

“The orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has decided, by the power of the Lord, that it will not compromise its right to provide spiritual services in all churches and squares,” it said. “Prayers will be held as usual.”

The patriarchate says up to 11,000 people attend in normal years. In recent years, however, tensions have risen with the local Christian community, most of whom are Palestinian Christians, a population that has steadily dwindled through decades of conflict as many have sought economic opportunities abroad.

“It’s like this every year and every year there’s a different excuse,” said Dr. Muna Mushahwar, a physician who argued with police as she tried to organize the entry of a foreign delegation.

“They don’t want the Christians here. The more you push people the more frustrated they get and then they leave.”

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