Germany warns Israel: Blocking holy sites in Jerusalem would worsen tension in Middle East

Germany has made clear to the Israeli government that blocking access to holy sites in Jerusalem threatened to make tensions there worse, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

1 April 2026 at 12:50:01

Germany warns Israel: Blocking holy sites in Jerusalem would worsen tension in Middle East

Part of a missile on a rooftop near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, after Israel's police said they located missile fragments in several locations in the Old City and holy sites following a missile barrage from Iran, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Jerusalem's Old City, March 16, 2026.

Israel Police/Handout via Reuters

BERLIN- Germany has made clear to the Israeli government that blocking access to holy sites in Jerusalem threatened to make tensions there worse, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

"I think we made our position very clear to the Israeli government on this matter, even in internal discussions," said the spokesperson.

"Denying access to the holy sites is something that, in our view, threatens to further inflame the already tense situation on the ground," added the spokesperson.

Israel blocked Jerusalem's Catholic cardinal from marking Palm Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, sparking an international outcry that led Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reverse the ban for the remainder of Holy Week.

-Writing by Miranda MurrayEditing by Madeline Chambers/Reuters