National Council of Churches urges Israeli government (with update)
The General Secretary of the National Council of Churches said today he received a telephone call from Dr. Michael Oren, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, with news that travel restrictions that prevented Palestinian Christians from visiting Christian sacred sites in Jerusalem have been lifted.
The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, who yesterday urged Israel’s government to provide access to Jerusalem for Christians living on the West Bank, expressed his thanks for the Ambassador’s message.
“On Wednesday I received a call from (Oren) indicating he had been in touch with Israeli officials and that they have now assured him that travel restrictions on Palestinian Christians from the West Bank have been lifted for Easter — and that we should notify him directly if there are reports from check points that these orders are not being followed,” Kinnamon said.
Kinnamon also expressed his gratitude to Rabbi Steve Gutow, President and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and Rabbi David Saperstein, Director and Counsel of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, for adding their voices to Kinnamon’s request for freer access for Palestinian Christians to Christian holy sites.
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