White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that President Donald Trump’s administration expressed concern to Israeli officials about the lack of access to the sacred sites during Holy Week.
Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest-ranked Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is believed to be the site where Jesus Christ died and resurrected. Leavitt confirmed to Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese that the administration told Israel they were unhappy about this incident.
“I did speak with Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio this morning and we did express our concerns with Israel with respect to these holy sites being shut down,” Leavitt said. “We want these worshippers to be able to access these holy sites. Of course, safety is a top priority. But we understand Israel is working on those security measures to reopen the sites throughout Holy Week and that’s something we’re appreciative of.”
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Israel indefinitely closed the Sepulchre on Feb. 28, the start of the Iran war, due to security concerns. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said fragments of an Iranian missile landed on the holy site, which led to the closure. (RELATED: White House Blasts Anti-War Coverage As ‘Fake News’ Minutes After Top Official Resigns Over Iran)
“The Iranian regime is targeting the holy sites of Christianity, Islam and Judaism,” the agency stated on X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday evening that Pizzaballa would be granted full access to the Holy Sepulchre. He stated that members of all faiths were asked to “abstain” from worshipping at holy sites for their safety, though he instructed authorities to allow Pizzaballa to hold services once he learned of the incident.
“To protect worshippers, Israel asked members of all faiths to temporarily abstain from worshipping at the Christian, Muslim and Jewish holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City,” Netanyahu said. “Today, out of special concern for his safety, Cardinal Pizzaballa was asked to refrain from holding mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Even though I understand this concern, as soon as I learned about the incident with Cardinal Pizzaballa, I instructed the authorities to enable the Patriarch to hold services as he wishes.”
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