Jerusalem, ultra-Orthodox Jews occupy and drive Christian pilgrims from Upper Room
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - A mob of ultra-Orthodox Jews has occupied the Upper Room, the sacred site of the Last Supper, forcing Christian pilgrims who were gathered there for the feast of Pentecost into a small adjacent room while they danced and prayed.
The incident
occurred yesterday afternoon. According
to Israeli police sources the group was composed of "about 30"
ultra-Orthodox Jews. Moshe
Feiglin, a member of parliament in the ranks of the Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, was
also among the group.
The
Upper Room, where the Last Supper and Pentecost took place, is a room on the
second floor of a building near the area of Mount Zion. Since
the twelfth century, it's ground floor is also believed to be the site of the burial
of King David, although many archaeologists and historians doubt this.
On the last day
of his visit to the Holy Land, Pope
Francis had permission to celebrate Mass in the Upper Room, together
with local bishops and patriarchs.
The
site belongs to the State of Israel, which has banned all Christian churches
from holding liturgies there. Only
John Paul II and Pope Francis have been granted this opportunity.
There
had been talk in the past of Israel's signing over the rights of the Status Quo
for the Upper Room to the Custody of the Holy Land, which was the
original owner of the holy place, before the Ottomans and then the Israelis took
it over. 0ffensive
and violence graffiti against Christians often appear near the sacred site.
In the days
prior to Pope Francis' visit, groups of ultra-Orthodox Jews demonstrated in
Jerusalem and Mount Zion, opposing any attempt sign over the holy place to Christians
(see photo). The
government has stated that the Upper Room will remain state-owned.
Also
yesterday, the ultra-Orthodox Jews carried placards accusing the government of
lying on the status quo of the Upper Room with them.
Often
Christian pilgrims - paying an entrance fee - also visit the so-called
"tomb of King David" on the ground floor, pausing sometimes in
prayer. The
group of protesters yesterday considers this an act of "blasphemy"
and "a provocation." For
this they wanted to occupy the sacred site upstairs praying and dancing and
driving the Christians out.
26/01/2007