1 in 2 Jews attend prayers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem this Easter Sunday. — Photo: Menahem Kahana/AFP Jews pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem this Easter Sunday. — Photo: Menahem Kahana/AFP
Thousands of believers gathered in Jerusalem this Sunday (9) where celebrations of Christian Easter, the Jewish Passover and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coincide. The celebrations come amid escalating violence in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Israeli authorities have stationed a large police force in the Old City, the scene of clashes between adherents of the three religions, in East Jerusalem, the city’s Palestinian sector occupied and annexed by Israel since 1967.
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Since then there have been attacks on Israel and rockets have been fired from Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, provoking reactions from Tel Aviv.
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The latest episode of violence came on Saturday night when the Israeli army bombed Syria in retaliation for rockets fired at the Golan Heights, territory annexed by Israel.
Pope Francis expressed his “deep concern at the attacks of the last few days” and in his traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing called for the creation of a “climate of trust and mutual respect necessary for the resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians is”. .after Easter Mass.
2 of 2 Palestinian Muslims pray at night at AlAqsa Mosque during Ramadan celebrations in Jerusalem. — Photo: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP Palestinian Muslims pray at night at AlAqsa Mosque during Ramadan celebrations in Jerusalem. — Photo: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP
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In Jerusalem, hundreds of believers attended Easter Mass at the Holy Sepulcher, a sacred site disputed by several Christian branches. In the adjoining chapels, the orthodox rituals of Palm Sunday were celebrated.
“I believe that Jesus and God suffer because we are divided among Christians. Here too, unfortunately, we are divided and there is a lot of violence,” Nun Elisabeth, a missionary from Chad, told AFP.
A relatively short distance away, thousands of Jews would visit the Western Wall for the traditional blessing of the kohanim (priests) celebrated at this site twice a year, especially during Passover.
“I have a feeling that God will protect us. We all pray together as one people,” Judy Green, a 60yearold Jew, told AFP.
The Western Wall, a remnant of the ancient Temple built by Herod, sits on one side of the Esplanade of Mosques built on what Jews call the Temple Mount, Judaism’s most important sacred site.
Nearly 500 religious Jews attended the mosque esplanade under police escort on Sunday morning while Muslim believers prayed for Ramadan. No collisions were registered.
In theory, Jews cannot enter the Temple Mount as it was forbidden by the rabbis, but many ignore the veto. Visitation has increased in recent years and several Jewish ultranationalists pray in secret after arriving at the site as mere visitors.
Israel is stepping up security amid heightened tensions this week
spiral of violence
The situation “is not very good,” said Mahmoud Mansur, a 65yearold Palestinian from Jerusalem on the Esplanade, as he lamented that the police escort visits by Jews “every morning” and “ignore the Muslims”. and we hope (…) that one day there will be peace in Jerusalem,” he said.
More than 30 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory on Thursday, in the worst escalation since 2006 on the border between the two countries, which are technically at war after multiple conflicts.
There were two attacks on Friday: the first in a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, killing two Israeli sisters aged 16 and 20, and the second in Tel Aviv, killing an Italian tourist.
The IsraeliPalestinian conflict has intensified since the beginning of the year. At least 92 Palestinians, 18 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian died, according to an AFP report based on information from official sources.