US EditionIt’s Holy Week, but Jerusalem’s Old City is quiet and eerily empty
Security restrictions left Holy Week observances sparse, with shops closed and only limited access to major liturgies, officials and church leaders said.
- On Sunday, April 5, 2026, Jerusalem's Old City remained deserted as war restrictions left sacred sites largely without the faithful. Heavy metal curtains locked shops, and guards blocked entry to churches, marking unprecedented silence for Easter and Palm Sunday.
- The conflict with Iran, which began on February 28, has cast a somber shadow over the Old City. With few bomb shelters available, police have restricted entry primarily to residents and shop owners, discouraging visitors amid rocket fire fears.
- Local businesses in the Palestinian Old City remain forced to close, while worshippers face strict limitations. At the Western Wall, only 50 people may pray at a time inside the Kotel tunnels, preventing larger gatherings across holy sites.
- The cancellation of public ceremonies threatens a fragile community, as the local population has dwindled to less than 2 percent of the region. "It's not like previous years," said Syrian Orthodox Christian Jacqueline, noting the absence of traditional songs.
- Tourists like Vesna Pericevic Jacob, who traveled from India to pray for peace, expressed hope for the future. Despite the "lifeless" atmosphere, religious leaders continue to offer a "faithful presence," praying that next year will bring peace to the land.
20 Articles
20 Articles
War overshadows Easter in silent Old City of Jerusalem
It's a far cry from a traditional Easter holiday, when tens of thousands of locals and tourists would flood the Old City to dance, sing, and parade in celebration of the holiday; 'There is no celebration. People feel very sad. This is not Easter'
On an old town walk at Easter, the German abbot Nicodemus Schnabel laments the crisis of Christians in the Holy Land. The blame is the ongoing wars – and a security minister who celebrates death.
Jerusalem. Israel prevented Palestinian Christians in Gaza and the reoccupied West Bank from attending this year’s Good Friday celebrations, through severe restrictions on entering the Old City of Jerusalem and other holy places. Meanwhile, the photograph of a blindfolded Palestinian, published by an Israeli soldier to advertise a private business, caused outrage on the Internet.
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