OIC Condemns Israel for Blocking Patriarch’s Entry to Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned Israel for preventing the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in occupied East Jerusalem to lead religious services.

In a statement, the OIC’s General Secretariat denounced what it described as an arbitrary decision by Israeli authorities to block Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch and Custodian of the Holy Land, from accessing the church to conduct one of the Christian religious observances.

The organization said the move constituted a “flagrant violation” of the right to worship and an infringement on the legal and historical status of holy sites in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

The OIC also warned of escalating Israeli measures against religious sites, citing the continued closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and called on the international community to take practical steps to halt violations and ensure freedom of worship at Islamic and Christian holy places.