The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has demanded of Israel that it respect "the diversity of faiths and international law", after the Israeli Police prevented access to the Holy Sepulchre to the head of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
In a message disseminated on "X" and reported by Europa Press, Sánchez has accused the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of "having prevented Catholics from celebrating Palm Sunday in the Holy Places of Jerusalem." "Without any explanation. Without reasons or motives," the head of the Executive has criticized.
The leader of the Government has thus expressed Spain's official condemnation for what he has described as an "unjustified attack on religious freedom". "We demand that Israel respect the diversity of beliefs and international law. Because without tolerance it is impossible to coexist," he has written on the social network.
The Latin Patriarchate speaks of an unprecedented incident
In a statement made public this Sunday, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has reported that the Israeli Police intercepted the private entourage headed by Pizzaballa when it was heading to one of the main places of worship on the planet and forced them to return.
The Patriarchate has rejected the action of the security forces, calling it "manifestly unreasonable and disproportionate" and warning that it constitutes "a serious precedent that ignores the sensitivity of billions of people around the world, whose gazes are focused on Jerusalem" during Holy Week.
In response, both Netanyahu and the Israeli Police have defended that the decision was adopted for security reasons and following instructions from the Army in the context of the war against Iran. The Police have also assured that on Saturday they notified the Latin Patriarchate that the visit could not be carried out for these reasons.
The episode has provoked a wave of reproaches on the international scene and has again placed in the spotlight the criticisms against the Israeli Government for the limitations that, according to various complaints, it would be imposing on the activities of other religious communities present in Jerusalem.