Letter from Jerusalem: In a holy week, city parades its better self

April 3, 2023

Jerusalem

With Easter, Passover, and Ramadan coinciding this year, the region’s eyes are on Jerusalem, where the slightest provocation can spark deadly violence and a geopolitical uproar.

Which is why I crossed the Jordan River to report from and pray in what may be the most tense religious sites on Earth.

When I first arrived in Jerusalem on March 29 – one week into Ramadan, a week before Passover, and four days prior to Holy Week – followers of the three Abrahamic faiths were visibly wary. Why wouldn’t they be?

The last few months have seen far-right Israeli ministers use their government posts as bully pulpits, a rise in violence and revenge attacks killing Palestinians and Israelis, a wave of vandalism against Christian sites, and a struggle over Israel’s judiciary and democracy straining the Israeli state and society.

In anticipation of this spiritual season, representatives of the U.S., Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Egypt met for multiple days to ensure that Christian, Muslim, and Jewish worshippers have safe and open access to celebrations in Jerusalem this month and to prevent any isolated incident from escalating.

Yet even this privileged American visitor got a taste of the tensions.

………………………………………….continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor