Israel prevents West Bank Christians from marking Good Friday in Jerusalem

Thousand of Palestinian Christians have been blocked by Israel from marking Good Friday at Jerusalem's holy sites. 

After Israeli authorities barred Palestinians from the occupied West Bank from celebrating Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, they are now preventing them from obtaining permits to participate in Holy Week activities — particularly Good Friday observances, as well as celebrations for Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. 

Good Friday commemorates the day Christ was crucified at Calvary, which is located inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Israeli restrictions are preventing tens of thousands of Christians from the West Bank from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, preventing them from participating in a key element of their faith.

The Old City and the area around the church — where the tomb of Christ is located — have been placed under a heavy Israeli police presence.

Hundreds of Christians did manage to march through the alleys of the Old City, participating in the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa (the "Way of Sorrows") towards the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, amid a noticeable presence of Israeli security forces.

However, the vast majority of these worshippers were local residents and foreign tourists, with the complete absence of Christian West Bank residents due to the Israeli restrictions. 

Father Issa Musleh, spokesperson for the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, confirmed to Anadolu Agency that Israel is denying entry permits to West Bank Palestinians.

He pointed out that the Israeli restrictions imposed on Palestinian Christians during Holy Week — including today’s Good Friday and Easter Sunday — are the same as those enforced against Muslims during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.

Christian leaders have also decided to limit worship and celebrations to churches in protest at Israel's war on Gaza. 

Musleh explained that this year’s celebrations "are limited to religious ceremonies due to the war on the Gaza Strip," which Israel has been waging for more than a year and a half.

A fragile truce had interrupted the fighting for less than two months following a ceasefire announced on January 19, 2025, before Israeli forces resumed their brutal offensive on 18 March. 

"We, the heads of churches and clergy, have all decided to limit the celebrations to religious rituals, given what is happening in Gaza and in the refugee camps of the West Bank amid global silence," he added.

"All we can do is pray for beloved Gaza and condemn the killing of children, women, and the elderly, as well as the destruction of homes."

The Christian population of occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank have practiced their religion in the city for over almost two millennia.

However, increasingly draconian regulations over Palestinian movement by Israel threaten these ancient traditions, with Israel using the war on Gaza as a pretext to make the granting of military permits to Palestinians to visit Jerusalem, and most other places across the occupied territories, almost impossible.

This Easter, Israel announced it had issued 6,000 permits, though there are over 50,000 Christians – mostly Catholic or Greek Orthodox – living in the West Bank beyond East Jerusalem.

However, in reality, Christian leaders have said that just 4,000 were given, and often only to a few members of each family who applied.