Galilee, Israel – Christian pilgrims continued to visit Israel’s holy sites this weekend, despite the ongoing war with Hamas and a major Iranian missile attack on Israel from Saturday night to Sunday. I kept visiting.
Light passing through the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, April 13, 2024 (Joel Pollack/Breitbart News)
On Saturday, the train station inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was filled with a briefer, but still, crowd of pilgrims kneeling in prayer, seeing and feeling a physical connection to their faith, and standing in awe. There was a long line.
Christian pilgrims worship at Golgotha, or Calvary, the traditional site of the crucifixion, inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, Israel, April 13, 2024. (Joel Pollack/Breitbart News)
Christian pilgrims also visited holy sites in the city of Bethlehem, which falls within the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.
In Bethlehem, Christians have become a minority compared to Muslims, so they are exposed to social and political pressure, and are also suffering from the policies of the Palestinian Authority. But neither its history nor the ongoing threat of terrorism will prevent pilgrims and tourists from visiting this weekend.
Christian pilgrims pay their respects at the traditional site of Jesus’ birth at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Palestinian Authority, April 14, 2024 (Joel Pollack/Breitbart News)
Muslim tourists from countries such as Turkey and even neighboring Palestinian communities visited Bethlehem’s Christian holy site to pay homage to one of the faiths that inspires Islam.
On Sunday, just hours after Iran fired more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel, the Sea of Galilee, the setting for much of the New Testament, was peaceful, with a new calm and beautiful sunrise. It told me that it was going to be a great day.
Sunrise on the Sea of Galilee, hours after Iran’s attack on Israel retreated, April 14, 2024 (Joel Pollack/Breitbart News)
Nearby holy sites, including the Church of the Beatitudes, where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. and Capernaum, an ancient fishing village where Jesus lived and preached. They were quiet, but still a few believers came.
The Church of the Beatitudes stands quietly on the Sea of Galilee, just hours after Iran attacks Israel, April 14, 2024 (Joel Pollack/Breitbart News)
Christian services continued as normal at these locations, including St. Joseph’s Church and the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Nazareth is a mountain town in Israel where Jesus grew up and where many Israeli Arabs now live.
Nazareth pic.twitter.com/VmJ93yYCIM
— Joel Pollak (@joelpollak) April 14, 2024
Israel hopes tourism, which has slowed dramatically since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack, will revive once the war ends.
But for Christian believers, there is no need to fear. War will not prevent them from achieving their goals.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He is the author of a recently published e-book.The Zionist conspiracy (and how to join it)‘ is now available on Audible. He is also the author of an e-book. Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 US Presidential Election. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
