Palestine

The conflict with Iran, the Gulf crisis and devastating attacks in Lebanon are overshadowing the tragedy in the Strip. Over 21,000 children have been killed, nearly 45,000 injured, and at least 58,000 have lost one or both parents. There is a shortage of drinking water and medicines, and infectious diseases are spreading. The aid system is paralysed. Restrictions imposed by Israel are taking their toll, whilst Hamas is weakened but not disarmed.

The government gave its green light recently, without much fanfare, just as settler violence was escalating. Since the start of the current legislative session, 103 settlements were approved, on top of 127 already existing settlements. Settlement procedures have also changed, showing a desire to accelerate the process of seizing land. Polls show Likud decline, but the country's majority opposes the ceasefire with Iran.

In the hills south of Hebron, in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair, marked by increasingly frequent Israeli settler attacks, a small music project called Sotna (Our Voice) is trying to carve out some room for normalcy. Two activists, Amalia Kelter Zeitlin and Kai Jack, have started a children's orchestra that continues to meet weekly despite rockets and intimidation.

The Franciscan Amedeo Ricco – one of the key figures in the excavations that have brought to light new evidence supporting the Gospel accounts – comments on the celebrations in Jerusalem following the ‘incident’ on Palm Sunday. ‘We are experiencing a quieter Easter, which takes us back to our roots. But the Sepulchre remains the living heart from which to proclaim that death does not have the final say.’

In the shadows cast by war in the Palestinian territories, construction work is progressing on projects designed to “normalise” life in Jewish settlements. Work began at the end of February on a new road connecting settlements north and south of Ramallah with Israel proper. The US$ 215-million investment will benefit places inhabited by just a few tens of thousands of settlers. But the goal is to “bring one million residents to Judea and Samaria.”

On the eve of Passover, the Rossing Centre expert speaks with concern of a country that today seems to have lost faith in coexistence. “For us Jews, this is a Passover dominated by a sense of exhaustion.” The war fronts, from Gaza to Iran, fuel hatred and divisions. Blockades, discrimination against Muslims and even Christians. The work of those who nevertheless try to listen to the other’s reasons, keeping hope alive, is fundamental.

After yesterday's muddled affair, an agreement was reached for Easter celebrations at the Holy Sepulchre: While the basilica remains closed, Israeli police will guarantee access to the building for Church representatives to livestream the liturgies. This matter brings to the fore the issue of the status quo of the Holy Places. Politics cannot override rules and traditions in Jerusalem even in times of war.

Israeli police in Jerusalem carried out a wanton act of intimidation against the cardinal and the custos of the Holy Land, who were prevented from privately entering the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass this morning. The Patriarchate protested the lack of respect for “the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem.” Prayers will be held this afternoon at the Dominus Flevit.

The extremists set up a tent and raised an Israeli flag. The attacks aimed at seizing land carry religious, political, legal, and symbolic implications. For the local parish priest, Father Bashar, despite difficult circumstances, the Christian community wants to celebrate Easter "with deep faith”. The patriarchs and heads of the Churches of Jerusalem issued a message of peace.

In AsiaNews, Fr Ielpo describes the run-up to Easter amidst the war in the Gulf and the closure of the holy sites. He condemns the violence perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank: “Serious acts against people who want to live in peace”. His account of southern Lebanon, which he has just visited. Prayer as an ‘essential’ path to a peace ‘that comes from above’. An appeal to Christians worldwide to ‘carry this yet another cross together’.

Patriarch Pizzaballa made the announcement in a message to Latin Rite communities. The Chrism Mass has also been postponed due to the impossibility for the clergy to physically come together. A virtual community prayer with a rosary for peace has been scheduled for 28 March. Easter “reminds us that no darkness, not even that of war, can have the last word.” Meanwhile, terror continues amid raids and missile strikes, as well as settler violence in the West Bank.

Speaking to AsiaNews, Bishop Nahra describes the closure of sacred places as “a form of death that people are experiencing.” From COVID-19 to Gaza and the Iran war, a picture of a perpetual “pandemic” emerges. This is impacting children while critical issues remain within Israeli society, especially in the Arab community, torn by violence and murders. In parishes people want to come to church and pray, many of them young. In Israel, there has been “widespread damage,” but “it’s not widely discussed.” Some 80 Jewish and Arab groups sign an open letter for peace.