JERUSALEM, Israel – Christians in the Holy Land are petitioning the Israeli government to allow Christian tourists to visit during the normally busy holiday season.
All tourists are currently banned from entering Israel over concerns about the Omicron variant. But Israeli officials decided this week to make an exemption for “Birthright,” a popular program that allows young Jews to visit Israel for free. Groups from the US are expected to begin traveling to Israel in small capsules next week, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.
For now, no such exemption exists for Christian pilgrims who typically flock to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth and other biblical cities to celebrate the Christmas season, which extends well into January for the Orthodox and Armenian traditions.
Wadie Abunassar, a spokesman and adviser to churches in the Holy Land, said several Christian denominations are upset about the policy and feel that it discriminates against Christians.
Abunasser said in a Facebook post that he has spoken to Israeli authorities and expressed his frustration about the matter.
“I urge the Israeli authorities to treat all those who want to visit the country equally without any discrimination between religion,” he said.
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An official in the Catholic Church told the Associated Press that church officials and members of other denominations are shocked by the decision, and have appealed to Israel’s Tourism Ministry to let Christians travel to the Holy Land for Christmas. The unnamed official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the media.
Israel’s Interior Ministry said the ban on foreign tourists still stands, but exceptions have been made, including a “specific” decision about Birthright groups. The ministry says it is considering making future exceptions but did not provide details about what they could be.
The pandemic has hit Israel’s tourism industry hard. On Wednesday, government officials decided to extend the country’s ban of foreign tourists by an additional seven days until Wednesday, 29 December 2021, at midnight.
They also approved adding the United Arab Emirates, Spain, France and Sweden to the “no fly” list, meaning Israelis will be prohibited from flying to those countries beginning on Sunday. Government ministers are also considering adding the US to the “no fly” list in the coming days, according to Israeli media reports.
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