Thousands of Christians marked Orthodox Easter on Saturday with the Holy Fire ceremony in Jerusalem, after church leaders slammed Israeli authorities for restricting the annual celebration.
Flames lit up the Church of the Holy Sepulchre after clergymen brought the Holy Fire out of Jesus’ tomb, which Christians believe is sparked miraculously each year.
Pilgrims cheered, sang and wept at the ceremony, as they passed the flame with candles, before it was carried out into the Old City.
Firefighters were stationed throughout the holy site, as the flames raised the temperature and smoke billowed upwards into the dome.
“It was so beautiful, I saw how the light arrives,” said Liliana Anechietei, 60, on a pilgrimage from Italy.
Carrying candles, Ms Anechietei remarked how many police checks there were and “a lot of shoving” as Christians tried to access the church.
“It’s terrible, I’ve never seen so many police officers in my life like here. Ever,” she said.
Israel has policed the Old City since its occupation of East Jerusalem started in 1967, following the Arab-Israeli war.
This year the force imposed a limit of 1,7000 worshippers at the Holy Fire ceremony, church leaders said, a move which has sparked a weeks-long quarrel.
“The police’s argument that restricting the number of worshippers due to ‘public safety’ concerns lacks any logical basis,” the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem said this week, dismissing any attendance limits.
The police did not immediately confirm how many of the faithful were allowed to attend the event, which often attracts more than 10,000 pilgrims.
The restrictions come a year after 45 Jewish worshippers were crushed to death at a religious event in Mount Meron, northern Israel.
Israeli officials rejected a request by the Orthodox Patriarchate to not put up barriers in the alleys of the Old City. Many pilgrims who arrived hours ahead of the ceremony were not permitted by police to enter the church.
“It’s worse. Every year is worse than the last one,” said Edmond Attallah, a Christian resident of the Old City, criticising the restrictions by Israeli security forces.
“This is really catastrophic,” said the 39-year-old, carrying a wooden cross. “They are stronger than us. But Our Lord is stronger than everyone, so we give him all our passion.”
Following the Jerusalem ceremony, the Holy Fire is traditionally taken to Orthodox communities throughout the Holy Land and internationally.
A priest from the Orthodox Patriarchate said he was certain the fire would reach Ukraine, two months after Russia invaded the eastern European nation, without giving details of its journey.
Scuffles briefly broke out between worshippers inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, after a Russian and a Ukrainian flag were raised in the crowd.
Six Christian denominations have shared the church for hundreds of years and must take joint decisions on any changes at the holy site.
They include yielding to a police request to open doors during this year’s Holy Fire ceremony, in case of an emergency.
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Raghida, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: AF Alareeq, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,200m
Winner: Basmah, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Liwa Oasis Group 2 (PA) Dh300,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Trolius, Ryan Powell, Simon Crisford
Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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China
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3.
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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