The signatories say that for two years the police have prevented Christians from exercising their religious rights during Easter week. This includes strict controls on the number of people allowed to take part in prayers at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
According to their attorney, Mazen Qupty, the police set up roadblocks and issue special entry permits to select the people they want to reach the church.
"Christians are denied their fundamental right to exercise their religion freely because of roadblocks in the Old City, the presence of police with machine guns, as well as rude and hostile attitudes from police and Army officers," the signatories said in their letter sent to the ministers of public security and religious services, as well as the police commissioner and attorney general.
"The curfews and forced closures make these movements almost impossible. In sharp contrast, Israel allows Jews free access to their synagogues."
The authors warn that they will take legal measures at international institutions to redress the situation and "end the illegal occupation of East Jerusalem and, in this particular case, to stop limiting Holy Land Christians from exercising their basic religious rights."
Police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby rejected the claims and said that "the police make special efforts to ensure the security of the faithful and prevent excessive congestion at the church, which may endanger people's lives."
Source: Haaretz by Nir Hasson and Akiva Eldar
