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Church: Israel limiting rights of ‘Holy Hearth’ worshippers

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JERUSALEM — The Greek Orthodox Church on Wednesday accused Israeli police of infringing on the liberty of worshippers with “heavy-handed” restrictions on what number of pilgrims can attend the “Holy Hearth” ceremony amid hovering tensions.

Israeli police stated the boundaries are wanted for security throughout Saturday’s celebration on the historical Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Twelfth-century holy website the place Jesus is believed to have been crucified, buried and resurrected.

Saturday’s “Holy Hearth” celebration comes throughout an uncommon spate of violence within the Previous Metropolis, touched off by an Israeli police raid on Jerusalem’s most delicate holy website, the compound that’s residence to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The tensions spiraled into a regional confrontation between Israel and Hamas, and had been punctuated Friday when two British-Israeli sisters and their mom had been killed after their automobile got here underneath fireplace close to a Jewish settlement within the occupied West Financial institution. The mom succumbed to her wounds on Monday.

Israel, which imposed similar restrictions on the “Holy Fire” event last year, says it desires to stop one other catastrophe after a crowd stampede at a packed Jewish holy website left 45 folks useless. Christian leaders say there’s no want to change a ceremony that has been held for hundreds of years.

Japanese Orthodox Christians consider that on the Saturday earlier than Easter, a miraculous flame seems contained in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Greek patriarch enters the Holy Edicule, a chamber constructed on the standard website of Jesus’ tomb, and emerges with two lit candles. He passes the flame amongst 1000’s of individuals holding candles, regularly illuminating the partitions of the darkened basilica. The flame will likely be transferred to Orthodox communities in different nations on particular flights. The supply of the Holy Hearth has been a intently guarded secret for hundreds of years, with an abundance of skeptics.

Church officers advised reporters in Jerusalem on Wednesday that negotiations with the police over their “heavy-handed” restrictions had failed.

“After many makes an attempt made in good will, we aren’t in a position to coordinate with the Israeli authorities as they’re imposing unreasonable restrictions on entry to the Holy Sepulchre,” the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem stated. The restrictions “will restrict entry to the Christians, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and to the Holy Gentle ceremony.”

Israeli police officers acknowledged that they’re rising safety and blocking some routes into the dense Previous Metropolis and that attendance is restricted within the historical church and courtyard. However in a convention name with reporters, officers stated the attendance limits — 1,800 folks contained in the church which Greek Orthodox officers stated was a fraction of earlier years — had been set by the church.

Chief Superintendent Yoram Segal of the Jerusalem District Police advised reporters throughout a convention name that the police’s prime precedence is security on a day when Muslims, Christians and Jews are celebrating their very own holidays within the square-kilometer (square-half mile) Previous Metropolis.

“We’re going to regulate the motion of crowds,” Segal stated, including that the holy fireplace ceremony will likely be accessible all through town on video screens and that conferences with the church buildings are ongoing.

Because the rise this 12 months of Israel’s most right-wing authorities in historical past, Christians say their 2,000-year-old group within the Holy Land has come underneath rising assault.

Kellman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.

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