Human Rights and Democracy Media Center- SHAMS, states that that the decision of the Occupation’s State (Israel), to restrict Christian Palestinians access to the Resurrection Church and limiting the number of persons allowed to enter the Church to celebrate the Easter and Holy Saturday, is a clear manifestation of the Israeli Apartheid Regime. SHAMS Center added that freedom of mobility is a right of all affirmed by the international Human Rights Law, especially the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Additionally, right to freedom of mobility was emphasized with the UN International Covenant on Civic and Political Rights. Right to freedom of religion and belief and accessing worship sites is a basic right that is protected by the divine and human legislation.
SHAMS Center emphasizes that accessing worship places is a basic right that none has the power to deprive others from. Such right is granted to all human beings regardless of race, color, nationality, or belief.
SHAMS Center emphasizes that the policies and practices of Israel are a clear aggression on Christian Palestinians and violation of their basic rights. The policies of the Occupation’s state interpret clearly the apartheid regime that is applied against Palestinians. The practices of the occupation clearly interpret the tendencies of the occupation state to exclude Palestinians and apply double standards in dealing with Palestinians and Israeli settlers. In this regard, the Occupation’s state allows settlers to invade Al- Aqsa Mosque and allows them to access the so- called Joseph Tomb in Nablus under the protection of the Israeli army, but limits the number of Christian Palestinians allowed to access Jerusalem for prayers during the Easter. At the same time, Israel deprives Christian and Muslim prayers from Gaza Strip from the right to access the worship sites in Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
On a related level, SHAMS Center warns from the from the new applied Israeli policies and regulations that could be the first step towards Judaizing Process that might deny Palestinians access to worship sites whether they were Christians or Muslims. Such policies might lead to escalate the conflict and increase the tension to a degree that the region might be enrolled in a bloodshed religious war.
SHAMS Center calls upon all the states, especially the EU states, for immediate intervention to press on the Occupation’s state to stop the applied apartheid policies that exclude Palestinians and violates their basic religious rights. SHAMS Center calls upon Vatican and the Holy See in the Holy Land for immediate intervention to stop the Israeli illegal unethical practices against Palestinian Christians and Muslims. Israel pretends that it is a Western Country in the Middle East and that it respects religious rights and protects Christian Holy sites against Oppression and injustice.
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