I hadn't wanted to post text during Holy Week, but while we are going about our worship, we need to remember the people of Palestine in our prayers. The Israeli army has sealed the West Bank to all border-crossings this week, until April 6. While this is allegedly on account of the Jewish Passover, it in fact prevents Palestinian Christians from worshiping at the Holy Sepulcher for the Saturday of Light when they receive the Holy Fire.
I haven't found mention of it in English-language MSM. A brief note of this can be found in English on a Russian website here.
It has been mentioned more in the French press, but without reference to Christian Holy Week.
For example, here. (Google "Cisjordanie" and "boucler")
Update: The Ochlophobist has posted an article, apparently from Ecumenical News International, that states that the Israelis have bowed to pressure from Western religious groups and are allowing Christians special permits to go to Jerusalem from the West Bank. However, this article does not yet appear on the ENI website.
Also see today's Reuters article about how Israeli restrictions have greatly diminished participation in Holy Week celebrations in Jerusalem. Here.
The lobbying group Churches for Middle East Peace, whose mailing list I am on, was involved in pressuring Israel to unseal the border. They claim that they did this, but I'm not sure how this played out on the ground.
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