Israel has prevented the highest Catholic authority from officiating Laurel Day Mass at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, provoking a wave of international criticism
The US ambassador to Israel has also broken his traditional support for the Israeli Government and said there was no reason to make such a decision. Italy, France, Portugal, Poland or the Palestinian Authority have also denounced the incident.
The Israeli police today preventedCardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, head of the Jerusalem Catholic Church,from entering the church of the Holy Sepulchre as he was about to officiate the Mass of Ramos Sunday. Both he and his entire group have been turned around. This decision has provoked numerous internationalcriticism\u00A0 and has intensifiedaccusations againstthe Israeli Government for the restriction of the activity of the rest of the religious communities in Jerusalem.
Israeli PrimeMinister Binyamin Netanyahu , however, has shown his full support for the police and said they have done the right thing.
In a statement published by his office, Netanyahu has stated that the decision has been made "for security reasons" because Iran "is attacking sacred sites by missile."
Iran, however, has strongly denied that it is attacking places of worship in Jerusalem and has ensured that its attacks are directed against Israeli and US military positions.
The US ambassador sees "deplorable abuse of power" in what he has done to the patriarch of Jerusalem
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has expressed regret at the ban on Cardinal Pizzaballa.
For Huckabee, what happened is "a regrettable abuse of power that is already having important global consequences."
Huckabee's condemnation is particularly important, as the former governor and Baptist minister of Arkansas is a close ally of Israel. "It is difficult to understand or justify preventing the patriarch from entering the church on Ramos Sunday for a private ceremony," Huckabee added.
Spain, France, Portugal, Poland, Italy or the Palestinian Authority have also reported what happened.
Spanish President Pedro Sanchez has said that it is not acceptable to attack religious freedom without justification.
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