Happy Orthodox Easter to all Christians around the globe especially Egyptian and Palestinian Christians celebrating it tonight.
Christians including Egyptian Christians waiting for their turn to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre "AFP/Anadolu" |
I did not want it to be a political one but I am amazed at how the international media ignored what happened in East Jerusalem on Saturday.
Earlier on Saturday in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli occupation forces demonstrated lively why Israel is being called apartheid for real as the Palestinian Christians were harassed on their way to celebrate the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the Saturday of light.
Some of them were even barred from entering the Church.
Here is the video showing an Israeli policeman speaking Arabic separating Palestinian and Arab Christians from Foreign Christians who are allowed to enter the Church filmed earlier Saturday.
As Christians gather to celebrate Holy Saturday at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, Israeli soldiers are separating Palestinian and Arab Christians from foreign Christians, denying them entry on the basis that they speak Arabic.
— IMEU (@theIMEU) April 23, 2022
Apartheid in action. pic.twitter.com/Vo3E73rf6J
Here is another video showing the treatment of the Israeli occupation forces with Christian Palestinians.
Christians celebrate the “#HolyFire” ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in #Jerusalem against a backdrop of rising tensions with #Israel, which imposed new restrictions on attendance this year.https://t.co/yfWULtqEPJ pic.twitter.com/W6HyLLoVFQ
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) April 23, 2022
Those Palestinians were heading to celebrate the Holy Fire but what you know !!
Today Palestinian Christians celebrate #HolyFire Saturday. Here how Israeli occupation forces treated them in occupied Jerusalem. Under Israeli occupation, only Zionist settlers enjoy the freedom to celebrate their holidays in #Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/gwLb4hbCq1
— Husam Zomlot (@hzomlot) April 23, 2022
A couple of weeks ago, Israeli authorities already issued an order to limit the number of Christian Palestinians to enter the Holy Sepulcher during Easter which the local Palestinian Churches completely rejected and they announced their rejection publicly.
waiting for entry "AFP" |
This ill-treatment did not stop at Christian Palestinians because I found out that the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christians who travelled for Pilgrimage were harassed and some of them were not let in for hours outside the Church.
تغطية صحفية: " قوات الاحتلال تعتدي على الأقباط المصريين وتمنعهم من الوصول لكنيسة القيامة بالقدس للاحتفال بسبت النور". pic.twitter.com/LUBToGgaNX
— الجرمق الإخباري (@aljarmaqnet) April 23, 2022
In this video, we got a group of Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christians and some of them are elderly from rural Egypt, I assume from Upper Egypt. They spoke about how they were not let in by the Israeli forces and how they were mistreated since 6 AM on Saturday.
The old man is speaking about how the Israeli security assaulted one of the Egyptian priests but I could not find any confirmation about this incident.
It did not stop here.
Palestinian activists reported that Egyptian American YouTuber Abdul Toamiah was arrested on Saturday in East Jerusalem during those tensions. I have read that he was released.
Abdul Toamiah under arrest , those are Egyptian men in front of him |
For those who do not know. East Jerusalem where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is located has been occupied by Israel since 1967.
The Holy Fire celebration "AFP/Anadolu" |
According to International law, it is considered an occupied territory and the Israeli occupation forces do not have any right to say who enters where especially in the places of worship. Period.
Imagine the international outcry if the Israeli policeman was actually an Arab policeman or Muslim policeman.
One thing is for sure, Israel does not discriminate when it comes to the ill-treatment of Palestinians whether Muslims or Christians in East Jerusalem.
Anyhow here is a video for the celebration of Holy Light inside the church.
#HappyEaster from Jerusalem!
— ℝ (@rosiescammell) April 23, 2022
With Orthodox Christians as they receive the #HolyFire, which worshippers believe sparks miraculously from Jesus’ tomb (centre) each year: pic.twitter.com/umILQEeGbh
I think it is time to speak about what is taking place in East Jerusalem.
You love to use the world occupied.
ReplyDeleteWhy did you build a mosque on top of the holiest place for Jews? International law is an opinion often decided by threats or personal agenda. Jerusalem is disputed territory. So are the places you built mosques all over the world, that are holy to the people you subjugated. It doesn't matter if you did it yesterday or 1400 years ago..
Based.
Delete