The Palestinian Authority doesn’t miss an opportunity to demonize Israel

PA libel: Israel’s protection of Christian worshippers misrepresented as restricting Christian worship

During the recent Easter holiday, at the request of the Greek Orthodox Church, Israeli police limited the number of participants at a religious ceremony in Jerusalem. In a letter to the Israeli police prior to the Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, church architect Teo Metropoulos explained that "the maximum number of visitors for the ceremony should be 1,800 inside the building and 200 more in the courtyard.” [The Times of Israel, April 15, 2023]

However, when reporting this story in its official press, the PA version did not mention the Church's request but chose to demonize Israel saying Israel's goal was “preventing thousands of Palestinian people and Christians from around the world from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.” The PA further lied that Israel is “targeting” Christians (and Muslims) in Jerusalem, aiming “to put an end to the Christian presence”: 

Official PA TV reporter: “The occupation imposed increased restrictions on the Christian celebrations in occupied Jerusalem on Holy Fire day that is before Easter… and reduced the number of Christian participants to approximately 1,800 together with the religious figures…

The occupation (i.e., Israeli) authorities do not distinguish between Muslim and Christian, and they have targeted the Christians in the holy city [of Jerusalem], just like the Muslims, and are disrupting the celebrations of their holidays and imposing restrictions on the realization of their right to worship, in an attempt to put an end to the Christian presence and erase the true Islamic-Christian identity of the city.”

[Official PA TV News, April 14, 2023]

The photos from the event show masses of people in the church celebrating the Christian holiday, and also clearly show that the room was filled to maximum capacity:

[Al-Jazeera, April 16, 2023]

[Catholic Review, April 15, 2023]

[Ynet Twitter account, April 15, 2023]

[KeepTalkingGreece, April 15, 2023]

Israeli Arab leaders who often echo PA demonization of Israel, repeat the libel, claiming Israel's goal is to “reduce freedom of worship”: 

Official PA TV newsreader: “The High Follow-Up Committee of the Arab Publics in the 1948 Lands (i.e., an umbrella organization that represents Arab citizens of Israel) condemned the blockade that the occupation authorities are imposing on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre… In a statement, the Committee… said: ‘The occupation’s imposition of this blockade joins the restrictions being imposed on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, while the goal is one: Reducing freedom of worship, particularly in occupied Jerusalem, as part of the occupation’s desperate attempts to impose other [Jewish] identities on the holy city.’”

[Official PA TV News, April 14, 2023]

The following are longer excerpts of the statements cited above:

Official PA TV newsreader: “The High Follow-Up Committee of the Arab Publics in the 1948 Lands (i.e., the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel, an extra-parliamentary umbrella organization that represents Arab citizens of Israel) condemned the blockade that the occupation authorities are imposing on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (refers to Israeli police imposing restrictions on participants at the April 15, 2023 Holy Fire ceremony at the site, at the request of a safety engineer of the Greek Orthodox Church -Ed.). In a statement, the Follow-Up Committee warned against suspicious parties that are striving to cause strife, especially in these days. [The statement] emphasizes that these are planted parties that serve the occupation’s policy, in desperate attempts to cause conflicts within our people. The statement said: ‘The occupation’s imposition of this blockade joins the restrictions being imposed on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, while the goal is one: Reducing freedom of worship, particularly in occupied Jerusalem, as part of the occupation’s desperate attempts to impose other [Jewish] identities on the holy city.’”

[Official PA TV News, April 14, 2023]

Official PA TV newsreader: “The occupation authorities imposed increased restrictions on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, through limiting the number of people who can come to the church to participate in the Holy Fire celebrations (refers to Israeli police imposing restrictions on the April 15, 2023 ceremony, at the request of a safety engineer of the Greek Orthodox Church -Ed.).”

Official PA TV reporter: “The occupation imposed increased restrictions on the Christian celebrations in occupied Jerusalem on Holy Fire day that is before Easter… and reduced the number of Christian participants to approximately 1,800 together with the religious figures…

The occupation authorities do not distinguish between Muslim and Christian, and they have targeted the Christians in the holy city [of Jerusalem], just like the Muslims, and are disrupting the celebrations of their holidays and imposing restrictions on the realization of their right to worship, in an attempt to put an end to the Christian presence [in Jerusalem] and erase the true Islamic-Christian identity of the city.”

[Official PA TV News, April 14, 2023]

Official PA TV newsreader: “A quarter million Palestinians prayed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque…

The [PA] Supreme Presidential Committee for Church Affairs, represented by PLO Executive Committee member [and Supreme Presidential Committee for Church Affairs Chairman] Dr. Ramzi Khouri, condemned the occupation police’s attempts to reduce the number of participants in the traditional Holy Fire celebrations and [them] preventing thousands of Palestinian people and Christians from around the world from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (refers to Israeli police imposing restrictions on participants at the April 15, 2023 Holy Fire ceremony at the site, at the request of a safety engineer of the Greek Orthodox Church -Ed.). In a statement that it issued, the committee emphasized its support for the position of Head of the Council of Churches in the Holy Land, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City [of Jerusalem] theophilus III. The committee also noted that Israel’s measures will not succeed in preventing our people and visitors of the holy city from carrying out their religious ceremonies, and added that Israel is attempting to deceive the world and the international community by reducing the numbers in the name of worshipping safely, at the same time that it is allowing the arrival of thousands of settler herds to worship freely and without limitations (sic., Jewish worship and access on the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, remains limited by police due to threats of violence by Palestinians).”

[Official PA TV News, April 14, 2023]