Christian pilgrims continued to visit holy sites in Israel this weekend, despite the ongoing war against Hamas and the massive missile attack by Iran against Israel on Saturday night into Sunday.
There were long lines — shorter than usual, but long nonetheless — at stations within the Church of the Holy Sepuchre on Saturday, as pilgrims knelt in prayer or marveled in awe, seeing and feeling a physical connection to their faith.
Christian pilgrims also visited holy sites in the city of Bethlehem, which is located within the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.
Christians have been subjected to social and political pressure in Bethlehem as they have become a minority, relative to Muslims, and they have suffered from the Palestinian Authority’s policies as well. However, neither that history, nor the ongoing threat of terror, kept pilgrims and tourists from visiting this weekend.