Austrian bishops prevented from praying at Western Wall

Monday November 12, 2007 21:45 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC

Israeli authorities on Monday barred thirteen Austrian bishops from praying at the Western Wall after the clergymen refused to remove the crucafixes they wore around their necks.

Upon entering the compound, the Bishops were given an ultimatum by the Rabbi in charge of the site to either remove the crucafixes or be refused entry. The Bishops, as members of the Christian faith, refused to remove the objects and were barredfrom entering the site.

"They were a bit disappointed they were not let into the wall," said Arad Benko, spokesman for the Austrian embassy. "It was a disappointing moment." 

The bishops, who were visiting all the holy sites of Jerusalem, were not given prior notice of the ban on crucafixes in the western wall area.

The Western Wall is a closely-guarded Jewish holy site that believers state is the last remaining piece of a Temple destroyed by the Romans several thousand years ago.  Muslims are not allowed to pray there, and non-Jews are only granted access if they do not offend the sensitivities of the Jewish faith.

Bordering the Western Wall is the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, which was built in the 900s.  The religious authorities of the Al-Aqsa Mosque allow all religions to enter – but the Israeli military authorities who control access to the Mosque forbid all non-Muslims (and many Muslims as well) from entering the site.

jerusalem | holy sites | news report saed at imemc dot org