This past Holy Week in Jerusalem was a prime example of how quickly a situation can be misunderstood, leading to a wildfire of misinformation. While the government made a tough—but in their eyes, necessary—security call, it ignited a global outcry, with many wrongly assuming religious persecution was at play. But when you dig a little deeper, the true story is quite different from what was spread far and wide.
Normally, the ancient streets of Jerusalem’s Old City would be overflowing with pilgrims from every corner of the globe during Holy Week. However, this year, the shadow of war kept many away. As the usual bustling crowds thinned out, a vacuum was created, quickly filled by conflicting stories about the events unfolding there, rapidly spreading across the internet.
The incident that really got the ball rolling involved Catholic Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. On Palm Sunday, Israeli authorities initially prevented him from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The official reason given by the police was immediate security concerns, specifically due to the very real threat of missile attacks from Iran. David Pileggi, who serves as the rector at Christ Church in the Old City, painted a vivid picture of the danger, explaining, “And so, once an Israeli interceptor would strike a missile, then over perhaps a six to ten-minute period, you would have pieces of shrapnel falling.” This wasn’t a hypothetical threat; it was a genuine danger that prompted authorities to restrict access to some of Jerusalem’s most sacred sites. Dean Elsdunne, international spokesperson for the Israel Police, clarified that “Home Front Command directives called for the temporary closure of holy sites here in the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and the Temple Mount,” all for the safety of everyone.
Yet, within mere hours, images of the cardinal being denied entry had gone viral. Social media exploded with accusations, painting Israel as a nation actively banning and persecuting Christians. Calev Myers, President of the Judeo-Christian Zionist Congress, tried to put things into perspective, dismissing the uproar as “making a mountain out of a molehill.” He explained that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, tragically, isn’t equipped with a bomb shelter that meets modern security standards. Consequently, during that critical period of heightened missile threats, the only people permitted inside were the thirty priests who actually reside there. Myers also pointed out that Cardinal Pizzaballa was aware of these security protocols but had failed to obtain the necessary advance permission from the Israeli Police before attempting to enter. While the initial decision was quickly reversed by high-level Israeli leaders within a day, the outrage, fueled by the initial wave of misinformation, unfortunately continued to simmer.
Hillel Fuld, an online advocate, highlighted to us how widespread and insidious false or misleading information can be. “I would say, manifestation of everything we’ve seen for the past three years, which is total fake news that spreads like wildfire. Someone makes something up out of thin air, and as you know, this was no different, like Israel discriminating against Christians, which is obviously not the case at all.” Fuld went on to emphasize that “All the holy sites were closed for our protection because Iran was, you know, randomly and arbitrarily just firing missiles everywhere. This was nothing in any way against, you know, Israel and the Jews.” When we asked Myers why so many Christians were so quick to believe the claims of Israel restricting or targeting Christian worship, his answer was sobering. He believes that “There’s a lot of propaganda right now that’s being amplified by bot farms out in Russia, which are funded by Qatar and China, and these countries that want to undermine the Judeo-Christian foundations of Western Civilization.”
Myers then painted a very different picture of the reality on the ground in Israel. “When the truth on the ground is that Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Christian communities have actually been growing, and the Christian population has been growing over the last century.” This perspective was echoed by Melkite Archbishop Joseph Matta at a recent gathering of Christian leaders at Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s residence. Archbishop Matta proudly shared how his Galilee-based church continues to thrive, even amidst the ongoing conflict. “My church is the largest church here in Israel, and I have lots of parishes,” Matta declared. “We are gathering, yes, but we are growing, with some difficulties, even because of the situation, because of the war.” These firsthand accounts paint a stark contrast to the narrative of persecution that had been so widely circulated.
Experts and advocates are increasingly concerned that this carefully crafted misinformation about Israel’s treatment of Christians is significantly contributing to a rise in anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiment worldwide, particularly among younger generations who consume much of their news online. Myers lamented, “For the first time in history, Joshua, you have very bad state actors who have direct access to the hearts and minds of a whole generation.” This alarming trend is underscored by new research from Pew, which reveals that a staggering 60 percent of Americans now view Israel unfavorably, with half of that number holding a “very unfavorable” opinion. Recent analysis strongly suggests that these online narratives are not just isolated incidents; they are actively fueling rising tensions and contributing to real-world hostility, even as dedicated church leaders in Israel continue to witness a far different reality on the ground. Pileggi summarized the complex reality with a nuanced perspective: “Persecution? No. Harassment from extremist groups? Yes. Bureaucratic insensitivity? Yes. Ignorance? Sometimes, in the hands of the police. Yes, all of these things exist in Israel, and Israel can do better, but at the same time, we are free in a way that other countries in this region are not.” The ongoing struggle to discern truth from falsehood continues to shape how this story is perceived globally. Yet, amidst all the confusion and conflict, many in Israel find enduring hope in the very spiritual significance of Holy Week itself. Pileggi concluded with a poignant plea for unity and understanding, hoping that “Instead of being that political football that gets tossed around between the pro-Israel crowd and the anti-Israel crowd, hopefully, both sides can help us and help our communities get out of our box…and to encourage us and to facilitate us having a ministry that brings the presence of Jesus the Messiah, through the power of the Holy Spirit, into this big mess called the Middle East.”