Hungarian premier says Israel's barring of patriarch from Jerusalem church 'unacceptable'

ISTANBUL

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed concern Monday over Israel's barring of Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from marking Palm Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

"This is unacceptable for us as Christians, even taking into account the wartime situation and general security measures. We must not allow war to exclude followers of any religion from our shared holy city, Jerusalem," Orban wrote on US social media company X.

His remarks are notable given his widely documented close ties with Israel. Last April, Orban welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Budapest and announced his intention to withdraw Hungary from the International Criminal Court, defying an arrest warrant issued by the tribunal over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

In a statement issued Sunday, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said Pizzaballa, along with the custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, was stopped while heading privately to the church and "compelled to turn back."

The patriarchate said the incident marked the first time in centuries that church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest Christian sites.

Israeli authorities also continue to bar Muslims from Friday prayers at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, for the fourth consecutive week, keeping it closed since late February under emergency measures linked to the war with Iran.