DUKE: Israel Ignites New Online War After Blocking Catholic Cardinal From Holy Site

Getty Images / AMMAR AWAD / Contributor

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Israeli police ignited an international incident Sunday when they denied Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest official in the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, from celebrating a small Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week and commemorates Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem ahead of His arrest, trial, and crucifixion. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is believed to have been built over the site of Jesus’s crucifixion and burial, making it one of the holiest Christian sites in the world.

Cardinal Pizzaballa said the decision to prohibit him from celebrating Mass was “a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.” 

Israeli officials claimed Pizzaballa was blocked for safety reasons, noting that shrapnel from an intercepted Iranian missile weeks earlier had fallen near the Church. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the decision was made out of “special concern for [Pizzaballa’s] safety” but acknowledged that a plan was being developed to allow Church leaders access to holy sites in the coming days. 

Statements from world leaders and U.S. officials poured in criticizing the Israeli police for not allowing Cardinal Pizzaballa the ability to hold a private ceremony. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said it was an “unfortunate overreach already having major repercussions around the world” and noted that current guidelines only prevent gatherings of 50 people or larger. Cardinal Pizzaballa was with a small group, according to reports. 

The Daily Caller’s White House Correspondent Reagan Reese asked press secretary Karoline........

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