The European Union Representative issues the following statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Jerusalem and Ramallah.
The EU and its Member States deplore the restrictions, which were imposed by Israeli authorities around Easter celebrations, in particular the Ceremony of the Holy Light on 19 April, the Saturday before Easter. Access was not only restricted to the interior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but also to a large part of the Christian Quarter of the Old City. Furthermore, we are concerned over the disrespectful behaviour of members of the police and border police forces, deployed in large numbers, toward worshipers, local Christian communities, pilgrims, diplomatic representatives and members of the clergy. Such measures cannot be seen as justified for the safety of the Ceremony and of the worshipers and severely affected these traditional Easter celebrations in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The EU stresses that the freedom of worship for all the religious communities, the Status Quo of the holy sites in and the universal character of Jerusalem must be unequivocally and consistently respected.
