Israel blocks Christians from Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem | Oborne Unscripted

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“It’s Easter… when you would expect tens of thousands of pilgrims. This year it’s completely empty.”

Peter Oborne reports from Jerusalem, where access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been restricted, and the Old City has been effectively shut down during one of the most important moments in the Christian calendar.

Shopkeepers say the closure has devastated their livelihoods, with businesses left empty during what is normally their busiest season.
“No business, no tourists… no money, no honey.”

Residents describe a reality where movement is tightly controlled, and entire areas can be sealed off.

“One soldier can close the whole city.”

Just a few hundred metres away, shopping areas in West Jerusalem remain busy — highlighting what Oborne describes as a system of unequal access and treatment.

He says the closures are not only affecting worship, but are also deepening economic hardship and raising fears about the future of Palestinian Christians in the city.

CHAPTERS
00:00 – “One soldier can close the whole city”
00:12 – Near the Holy Sepulchre: police restrictions
00:23 – Empty Easter at Christianity’s holiest site
01:42 – Holy Sepulchre closed and access blocked
03:06 – Moved on by police, and “security” claims questioned
03:36 – Restrictions around the church
04:36 – Old City emptied during Easter
05:40 – Legal status and control over holy sites
07:12 – Old souq: closed shops and no pilgrims
07:52 – “No business, no tourists… no money, no honey”
08:36 – Shopkeepers and economic hardship
09:06 – “One soldier can close the whole city”
09:49 – Daily life under restrictions
10:26 – Residents on international response
11:37 – The contrast: busy mall vs empty Old City
12:10 – “One set of laws” and unequal access
12:40 – Ending: exclusion, hardship and fear for the future

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Published: 02 Apr 2026 · Uploaded: 13 Apr 2026

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