460 views
·
Last viewed: 4 hrs ago
Uploaded: 02 Apr 2026 (7 months ago) · Shared: 13 Apr 2026
Duration: 14:25
Uploaded: 02 Apr 2026 (7 months ago) · Shared: 13 Apr 2026
Duration: 14:25
Youtube Description
“It’s Easter… when you would expect tens of thousands of pilgrims. This year it’s completely empty.” Peter Oborne reports from Jerusalem, whereaccess 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
Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join
Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews.
Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST
Got a story tip or question? Reach us at MEELive@middleeasteye.org
Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH
Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG
Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net
Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye
Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye
Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye
Explore More
Oborne Unscripted Middle East Eye Jerusalem Israel USASearch Google Search Explore Topics
Who are Oborne Unscripted?Peter Oborne (born 1957) is a British journalist and broadcaster. He is the former chief political commentator of The Daily Telegraph, from which he resigned in early 2015.
Who are Middle East Eye?Middle East Eye (MEE) is a United Kingdom-based media website and channel that primarily focuses on news related to the Middle East, North Africa, and the broader Muslim world.
Where is Jerusalem?Jerusalem is a city in the Middle East. It is located on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority claim Jerusalem as their capital, as Israel maintains its primary governmental institutions there and the State of Palestine ultimately foresees it as its seat of power; however, neither claim is widely recognized internationally.
Where is Israel?Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Middle East. Located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea. It has land borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan on the east, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the east and west, respectively, and Egypt to the southwest.
What is USA?The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America. It is a country comprising 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles (9.8 million km2), the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles (10.1 million km2). With a population of over 327 million people, the US is the third most populous country.
