“It’s Easter… when you would expect tens of thousands of pilgrims. This year it’s completely empty.”
British journalist and broadcaster Peter Oborne reports from Jerusalem, where access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been restricted, and the Old City has been effectively shut down during one of the most important moments in the Christian calendar.
Shopkeepers say the closure has devastated their livelihoods, with businesses left empty during what is normally their busiest season. “No business, no tourists… no money, no honey.”
Residents describe a reality where movement is tightly controlled, and entire areas can be sealed off. “One soldier can close the whole city.”
Just a few hundred metres away, shopping areas in West Jerusalem remain busy – highlighting what Oborne describes as a system of unequal access and treatment.
He says the closures are not only affecting worship, but are also deepening economic hardship and raising fears about the future of Palestinian Christians in the city.
Produced by: Middle East Eye
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