Reply #9: Israeli rules on Easter access to Jerusalem unclear [View All]

Rumors abound about whether or not Palestinian Christians from the West Bank will be able to access Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre over Easter, as some crossings into the city were locked and a general closure prevails on the West Bank.

Access restrictions will be implemented by several arms of the Israeli military, police and border police units, many of which overlap or cancel out eachother.

Israeli army

Imposed a general closure on the West Bank on the start of the Jewish Passover holiday that will last until the end of the holiday on 7 April.

According to a military spokesman on Thursday, Palestinians issued permits for family visits and religious services will not be subject to the general closure as of 1 April for a period of two weeks.

A news release issued by the Israeli Ministry of Defense said 10,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and 500 Palestinians in Gaza were issued permits for the Easter holidays. Palestinians from Gaza were given one week permissions, while Palestinians in the West Bank were issued two-week permissions.

The spokesman said some Palestinians with permissions trying to access Jerusalem may have been unable to do so before 1 April, when a series of "goodwill measures...for the benefit of the Palestinian population in the Judea and Samaria region and the Gaza Strip" went into effect.

As of Thursday, he said, the general closure of the West Bank would no longer prevent Palestinians with permissions for the holidays to leave the area.

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