Senior Church of England bishops have criticised Israeli restrictions on access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem during Holy Week.

Israeli authorities initially blocked the Latin Patriarch from entering the church, citing security concerns linked to heightened regional tensions. The move effectively prevented the traditional Palm Sunday liturgy from taking place as usual at one of Christianity’s holiest sites.

In a letter to The Times, the bishops of Chelmsford, Gloucester, Norwich and Southwark said the initial decision to block the Latin Patriarch from entering the church for Palm Sunday was “unprecedented and represented a direct assault on the historic status quo agreement regarding Jerusalem’s Holy Sites.”

Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later reversed the decision, the bishops warned that limiting access to five Christians at a time was “unnecessary, disproportionate and discriminatory”.

They argued the measures were unfair, noting: “It is discriminatory because the Israeli government allows up to 50 people to pray at any one time at the Western Wall, the holiest site for Jews in Jerusalem’s Old City.”

The bishops called for the restrictions to be lifted and urged the Israeli government to uphold long-standing arrangements governing Jerusalem’s holy sites and avoid actions that could inflame tensions.

They concluded: "The Israeli government must give reassurance that it is committed to working with all parties to uphold the status quo in Jerusalem. It must avoid any action that might inflame tensions, undermine the cause of peace or unilaterally seek to alter the status quo."