The Palestine you don't know

حيث يمكنك أن تجد سببا آخر لتقع في حب فلسطين - جمالها

where you can find another reason to fall in love with Palestine - it’s beauty !

Happy Easter From Occupied birth place of Jesus , Palestine !

In the annual Palm Sunday procession, Palestinian Christians carry signs naming their West Bank communities, all of which are cut off from Jerusalem by the Israeli separation barrier, requiring their residents to obtain special permits to enter, March 24, 2013. Such restrictions have dramatically reduced the number of Palestinians able to participate in religious traditions of any faith in Jerusalem

Palestinian Christians protest Israeli permit regime during Palm Sunday procession .(x)

During the annual Palm Sunday procession, Palestinian Christians protest permits delayed and denied during the Easter season. Photos by: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org

Whether during Ramadan or Easter, every year, Palestinians with West Bank IDs face challenges entering Jerusalem for religious worship. Despite claims by Israeli authorities of granting more permits and relaxing restrictions, each year thousands of worshipers are denied entry.

This Easter season, early reports indicate that Palestinian Christian communities from the northern West Bank had to cancel their Palm Sunday celebrations in Jerusalem due to a lack of permits. Parishes from the Bethlehem and Ramallah areas received between 30% and 40% of the permits they requested.

One individual from the Bethlehem area lamented that while he was granted entry, the rest of his family was turned away at the checkpoint. Such arbitrary policies are typical with Israel’s permitting system, which rarely provides a coherent rationale for who is granted and who is denied, other the than the catch-all excuse of “security reasons”.

Palestinian Christians and Muslims rightly ask why if they are granted special permission to visit Jerusalem for religious holiday seasons–and are at that time not considered a security threat–why they are not allowed to freely visit throughout the year.

The heavy Israeli military presence along the procession route contrasts with the original meaning of the holiday. Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’ “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem, marking the beginning of the Christian Holy Week. According to the Christian scriptures, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, and the celebrating people there lay down their cloaks in front of him and waved palm branches as a symbol of victory. Additional symbolism included his choice to ride on a donkey, perhaps referring to Eastern traditions that it is an animal of peace, versus the horse, which is the animal of war. A king came riding upon a horse when he was bent on war and rode upon a donkey when he wanted to point out he was coming in peace. Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem would thus symbolize his entry as the Prince of Peace, not as a war-waging king.

The Gospel of Luke also contains this prescient passage of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem: “As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.’”

 

As Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter, Archbishop denounces Israeli restrictions

Thousands of Orthodox Christians gathered in Jerusalem and Bethlehem from Friday through Sunday for the celebration of the Easter holiday, which is celebrated one week later than the Latin churches Easter holiday. Greek Orthodox Archbishop Atallah Hanna issued a statement condemning the Israeli restrictions on Christians trying to celebrate Easter in Jerusalem

In his statement, Archbishop Hanna said, “This past week has been a week of pain – as we prepare to celebrate Easter, we have witnessed the Israeli authorities restricting the movement of the population; closing Jerusalem’s doors; and preventing movement, particularly to and from Jaffa Gate where patriarchates and churches are located.”

He added, “Visitors to the Holy City during this sacred season, including local Christians celebrating their feasts, suffer due to these actions. The Israeli restrictions prevent many people from having access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and restrict the freedom of movement of Christian devotees - including clerics of all levels and ranks.”

The Orthodox Christian celebration began on Friday with the commemoration of Good Friday and continue through Sunday, to mark the day that Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected two thousand years ago on the site now marked by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The Jewish holiday of Passover was also celebrated this week. During Jewish holidays, the Israeli state imposes increased restrictions and closures on the Palestinian population living under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank and Jerusalem

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Easter in Palestine Thousands of Christian pilgrims from around the world together with Palestinian Christians converge on the Old City of Jerusalem to celebrate the Holy Week of Easter. Holy Week festivities in Jerusalem begin on Palm Sunday, one week before Easter Sunday, with a pilgrim procession from the Mount of Olives to the Old City. The Palm Sunday procession follows the same path that Jesus took on his triumphant return to Jerusalem. Two thousand years ago, Jesus rode on a donkey as followers laid palm branches along his path. Today, pilgrims march on foot, waving palm fronds and olive branches. On Good Friday, pilgrims retrace Jesus’ procession toward his crucifixion along the cobble stoned Via Dolorosa. This reenacted march along the Stations of the Cross features many of Jerusalem’s most historic Christian sites. During the Via Dolorosa procession, pilgrims can be seen carrying large wooden crosses and reciting prayers at each of the fourteen Stations of the Cross. Their procession begins at the Sanctuary of the Flagellation, where Jesus was scourged and judged, and ends at the Church of Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus was stripped of his garments, nailed to the cross and died. According to Catholic and Orthodox Churches, Jesus was buried in the chamber of the sepulcher and later resurrected from there, making the Church of the Holy Sepulcher a focal point of the modern day pilgrimage. Protestant denominations believe Jesus was buried in the nearby Garden Tomb. The “Light” Celebration takes place on the Greek Orthodox Holy Saturday at the Holy Sepulcher, and spreads to all the Palestinian towns and villages. It commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Holy Light. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch fasts all day that day to celebrate this feast. He prays near the Tomb from early morning until 2:00 pm when the light appears. In Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour, the “Light” is received at St. Elijah’s Monastery on the road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and it then is taken in a procession to the churches in Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Beit Jala where believers would be waiting for it in order to start their celebrations. On Easter Sunday, pilgrims and Palestinian Christians celebrate together. Special masses, vigils and services are held throughout the Old City, including more than twenty separate masses conducted within 24 hours at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Christians in Bethlehem hold candlelight prayers at the Church of the Nativity. During Easter week, Jerusalem’s Old City accommodates the six Christian sects who are represented in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher: Roman Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Egyptian Coptic, Ethiopian, and Syrian Orthodox. The Eastern and Orthodox churches follow a different calendar than the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. This year, the Roman Catholic and Protestant celebrate Easter Sunday on April 8th, while the Eastern and Orthodox churches have their celebration on April 15th. This natural scheduling difference often helps reduce territorial tension in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The Church also gives each denomination its own space and separate schedules for permitted prayer times.(via)
Easter in Palestine

Thousands of Christian pilgrims from around the world together with Palestinian Christians converge on the Old City of Jerusalem to celebrate the Holy Week of Easter.

Holy Week festivities in Jerusalem begin on Palm Sunday, one week before Easter Sunday, with a pilgrim procession from the Mount of Olives to the Old City.

The Palm Sunday procession follows the same path that Jesus took on his triumphant return to Jerusalem. Two thousand years ago, Jesus rode on a donkey as followers laid palm branches along his path. Today, pilgrims march on foot, waving palm fronds and olive branches.

On Good Friday, pilgrims retrace Jesus’ procession toward his crucifixion along the cobble stoned Via Dolorosa. This reenacted march along the Stations of the Cross features many of Jerusalem’s most historic Christian sites.

During the Via Dolorosa procession, pilgrims can be seen carrying large wooden crosses and reciting prayers at each of the fourteen Stations of the Cross.

Their procession begins at the Sanctuary of the Flagellation, where Jesus was scourged and judged, and ends at the Church of Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus was stripped of his garments, nailed to the cross and died.

According to Catholic and Orthodox Churches, Jesus was buried in the chamber of the sepulcher and later resurrected from there, making the Church of the Holy Sepulcher a focal point of the modern day pilgrimage. Protestant denominations believe Jesus was buried in the nearby Garden Tomb.

The “Light” Celebration takes place on the Greek Orthodox Holy Saturday at the Holy Sepulcher, and spreads to all the Palestinian towns and villages. It commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Holy Light.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch fasts all day that day to celebrate this feast. He prays near the Tomb from early morning until 2:00 pm when the light appears.

In Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour, the “Light” is received at St. Elijah’s Monastery on the road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and it then is taken in a procession to the churches in Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Beit Jala where believers would be waiting for it in order to start their celebrations.

On Easter Sunday, pilgrims and Palestinian Christians celebrate together. Special masses, vigils and services are held throughout the Old City, including more than twenty separate masses conducted within 24 hours at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Christians in Bethlehem hold candlelight prayers at the Church of the Nativity.

During Easter week, Jerusalem’s Old City accommodates the six Christian sects who are represented in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher: Roman Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Egyptian Coptic, Ethiopian, and Syrian Orthodox.

The Eastern and Orthodox churches follow a different calendar than the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. This year, the Roman Catholic and Protestant celebrate Easter Sunday on April 8th, while the Eastern and Orthodox churches have their celebration on April 15th.

This natural scheduling difference often helps reduce territorial tension in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The Church also gives each denomination its own space and separate schedules for permitted prayer times.(via)