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Israel closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and set off a Holy Week firestorm

JL;DR SUMMARY The closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre by Israeli authorities during Holy Week, ostensibly due to safety concerns amidst the war in Iran, sparked significant backlash and claims of religious persecution from American Christian leaders and social media influencers. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

ChristianityReligious ConflictReligious FreedomTucker CarlsonHoly WeekMiddle East TensionsCardinal PizzaballaAmerican ChristiansHoly Sepulchre

Places mentioned

Jerusalem, Israel
"Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, leads a prayer service to mark Palm Sunday in Jerusalem on March 29, 2026, following the cancellation of the traditional Palm Sunday procession."
Lebanon
"They posted decades-old videos of Palm Sunday processions to show how things once were and photos of churches in Lebanon and Gaza that had been hit by bombs in the war over the past several years, implying that Israel has been targeting Christianity and framing the nation as a religious enemy to be defeated."
Gaza, Palestinian Territories
"They posted decades-old videos of Palm Sunday processions to show how things once were and photos of churches in Lebanon and Gaza that had been hit by bombs in the war over the past several years, implying that Israel has been targeting Christianity and framing the nation as a religious enemy to be defeated."
France
"Emmanuel Macron, president of France, condemned the decision, as did Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain."
Spain
"Emmanuel Macron, president of France, condemned the decision, as did Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain."
Iran
"But this Holy Week, that wasnt possible due to the war in Iran, which has limited gatherings in Israel due to safety concerns."

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Cairo Item ID 79046
Cairo Source ID 35
Retrieved 2026-04-02 05:30:56 UTC
Curated 2026-04-02 08:30:43 UTC