Holy Fire Ceremony Marred by Police Restrictions, Brutality

For the third year in a row, Israeli authorities enforced strict restrictions on attendance for Holy Saturday, the holiest day of the year for Orthodox Christians, which fell on April 15 this year. The Holy Fire tradition, known locally as Sabt al-Nur (Saturday of Light), celebrates Jesus’ resurrection and takes place in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City.

In it, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch enters the Holy Edicule, the chamber built on the area believed to be Jesus’ tomb, and emerges with two candles—lit, according to believers, spontaneously and miraculously.

The flame is passed from worshipper to worshipper in the church and its courtyard, creating a wave of illuminating, magical light. The flame is then transferred locally to churches in nearby cities and internationally to countries around the world.

The ceremony is also observed by other Orthodox denominations, including the Coptic, Armenian, and Syriac Orthodox churches.

Christians in Jerusalem are estimated to number about 16,300, of whom 12,900 are Arab.1 Most Christians in the city are from Orthodox churches.2

Negotiations over the restrictions between the police and church leaderships broke down a few days before the ceremony, because church leaders refused to accept the Israeli authorities’ restrictions on attendance, which they termed “heavy-handed.”3

This year, like in 2022, police capped inside attendance at 1,800 people (1,000 Orthodox Christians, 600 Armenian Orthodox Christian, and 200 police), according to a press conference given by church authorities on April 12, 2023,4 and total attendance (including outside in the courtyard) was also capped at 4,000, like last year.5 The police claimed the restrictions were needed for safety, since the church has only one opened doorway, somewhat impeded by a raised step.

But authorities did not just restrict entry to the church itself; they also blocked entry to the entire Christian Quarter, including, for the first time, installing wire “cage” barricades at the New Gate entrance to the Old City. This prompted outrage from the community. More than 2,000 police officers guarded the Old City’s tight alleys6 and, as early as 8:00 a.m., police were turning worshippers away. 

Those left disappointed included many pilgrims from around the world who had arrived in hopes of participating in the ceremony.

Community leaders were not persuaded by Israeli officials’ safety justifications. Clergy pointed to the fact that the ceremony has taken place for nearly 2,000 years without any such restrictions. In more recent times, prior to these restrictions, attendance had typically ranged between 10,000 and 11,000 persons inside the church, with many more outside,7 without incident.

Two days later, the Patriarchate issued another statement, this time calling the police duplicitous.

In a statement written on behalf of the community, Basim Khoury, a prominent community member who is the CEO of Pharmacare and very active in civil society in Jerusalem, said:

An appeal sent out by the community on April 14 pointed to ominous parallels with restriction of the right to freedom of worship for Muslims that have been in place for many years: “We are very much concerned that if the critical situation continues as it stands now, things will simply go out of control, similar to what is happening to Moslem worshippers in Al Aqsa compound.”11

In late March, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista (Pietro) Pizzaballa told reporters in Jerusalem: “What we are seeing is that what we call the status quo, the balance between the different communities—Jews, Muslims, Christians—is not respected anymore . . . That aspect is problematic for me, that they consider Christians as guests. We are not guests. We are part of the identity of the city.”12