Now, as Easter approaches, the Christian community in the West Bank is facing significant challenges. They have a hard time getting their hajj to Jerusalem. The Israeli government has only released 6,000 permits for Palestinian Christians to travel into the city at this holy time. This is in stark contrast to the 50,000 Christians who reside in the West Bank outside of East Jerusalem. These permits are heavily limited. They are only good for one week and do not permit overnight stays in Jerusalem, forcing pilgrims to return to the West Bank every evening after participating in religious services.
These constraints on movement come as a result of rising tensions following the onset of conflict with Hamas on October 7, 2023. For many years before, Christian worshippers had been given ever-increasing freedom to travel to Jerusalem and celebrate Easter in peace and safety. Now, they have to take a treacherous often long and torturous route through several army checkpoints—further complicating their already rugged trek.
Given the recent changes of developments, resettlement leaders and advocates have forced the record to be set straight. They are calling out the abuses perpetrated by the Israeli government. They’re convinced that today’s cultural climate is breeding a scary level of hostility toward Christians. Holy Land Roman Catholic Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa has raised his voice against this climate. He sounded an alarm that it might “legitimize or condone violence towards Christians.”
Not only has the situation worsened access to holy sites, but as a result of these restrictions, it has created a climate of intimidation for Palestinian Christians. John Munayer, a community leader in Sheik Jarrah, warned of a dangerous displacement. He documented escalating violence from these perpetrators, including on Christians and predominantly by Israeli Jews, particularly young men. It’s historically, if you’re looking at statistics, it’s young Israeli Jewish men who are doing these attacks under complete impunity. Even when they do, often the police take no action against them or prosecution results in minimal punishment. As if that’s not enough, he expanded on the bigger impact of this kind of action. He said that, “It’s a blatant effort by extreme settler Zionists to Judaise the Old City of Jerusalem and make it impossible for Christians who have been there for centuries.”
Incidents of criminal violence against Christian worshipers have grown dangerously commonplace. In April 2023, clashes erupted as Palestinian Christians and international pilgrims were beaten by Israeli police and armed forces while attempting to access the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The attacks have many worshippers across the nation feeling insecure in what has always been a safe haven and a house of prayer.
Father Nikon Golovko reflected these sentiments, shedding light on the growing hostility that he and his brother clergy are confronted with. He continued, “We don’t get half as much hostility and even aggression as we get from the Jewish community. They yell insults at us, and when we pass the Old City’s Christian quarter they even spit on priests! It sends a very unwelcoming message to everyone that the city doesn’t belong to all their communities but only the Jews. It was not like this before.
Extremist and settler Jewish movements are now expressing deeply concerning hostility and incitement. They are being unleashed on Christian sites and individuals throughout the holy city and the entire State of Israel. These assaults have been everything from inciting public hate speech to acts of vandalism, such as desecrating graves and burning churches. The rising intolerance is profoundly upsetting for those who have for centuries thought of Jerusalem as their soulful motherland.
The effect of these changes can be felt throughout the community. One local dad, Omar Haramy, shared how he fears for the safety of his kids as he attends Easter celebrations with them. I am looking forward to all these celebrations, especially the one on Holy Saturday! My family has enjoyed this Easter celebration for thousands of years. I’m sorry to say, I’m not going to bring my kids, it’s too dangerous now, with the police violence. He continued, “People are terrified, and a lot of them won’t dare come to the Easter processions at risk.”
For Palestinian Christians, this Easter is a historic one. Xavier Abu Eid expressed a sense of urgency regarding their community’s future: “As Palestinian Christians, we know that this generation will either make it or break it.”
As Easter approaches, millions more are doubting the depth of their faith. As a result, they bear the brunt of a world growing more polarized and dangerous. The path to Jerusalem has become much more than just a spiritual pilgrimage. It today exists as a mighty testament of fortitude for a people determined to maintain the culture they have cultivated, even under fire.