celebrations
Thousands expected for Good Friday procession in Jerusalem
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett: The country is expecting many visitors over Easter. Photo: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters Pool/AP/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Israel is expecting tens of thousands of visitors shortly before Easter – despite a bloody series of attacks in recent weeks. Because of the corona pandemic, tourists are allowed to visit the Christian festival again.
Despite a bloody wave of terror in Israel, thousands of Christians want to reenact Jesus’ Way of the Cross in Jerusalem on Good Friday. A massive police presence is expected, especially in the old town.
For the first time in three years, tourists and pilgrims from abroad can take part in the celebrations. Because of the corona pandemic, Israel closed its borders to visitors more than two years ago – and has only been allowing entry for unvaccinated tourists since March.
In addition, tens of thousands of Muslims are expected to attend Friday prayers in Jerusalem’s Old City to pray on and around the Temple Mount (Al-Haram al-Sharif) during the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan. The Jewish Passover festival, which will also attract believers and visitors, also begins on Friday evening. The Ministry of Tourism expects a total of 30,000 foreign tourists this week alone.
tense situation
The security situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories is extremely tense: 14 people have been killed in four attacks in Israel in the past few weeks. The attackers in two attacks were Israeli Arabs with ties to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization. In the other two attacks, the attackers were Palestinians from the occupied West Bank. Just last week, a Palestinian shot dead three people in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv.
Israel conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinians claim the territories for their own state with East Jerusalem as the capital.
During the Good Friday procession, religious dignitaries from various churches, among others, will march along the Via Dolorosa in the old town to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Believers walk the Stations of the Cross and carry wooden crosses in memory of Jesus’ suffering.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher stands on the site where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus died and rose again. It is considered the holiest place in Christianity and a center of Christian Easter celebrations.
A few minutes’ walk from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque – the third holiest site in Islam. At the same time, there used to be two Jewish temples there, the last of which was destroyed by the Romans in 70. The Western Wall is a remnant of that destroyed temple and is the holiest site for the Jews.
Israel fears more violence during Ramadan, which began earlier this month. Several Palestinians have been killed in military operations in the West Bank, in clashes with the army, but also in their own attacks.
At least the number of daily registered new corona infections in Israel is currently comparatively low: On Thursday, the Ministry of Health reported around 4,700 cases for the country of 9.4 million inhabitants. The corona situation is also relatively relaxed in the Palestinian territories.