JERUSALEM, April 3, 2010 (WAFA)- 'As we are celebrating the most religiously and traditionally significant Christian Holiday, we are repeatedly being subject to Israeli violations of our God-given right to freedom of worship,' said Dimitri Diliani, President of the National Christian coalition in the Holy Land.

Diliani added that tens of thousands of Christian worshipers from Gaza strip, West Bank, including Jerusalem itself, and Israel were banned by Israeli Police from either entering Occupied East Jerusalem or reaching the center of events at Holy Sepulchre church. 

He pointed out that Christian worshipers were replaced by thousands of armed Israeli soldiers and police who brutally assaulted tens of Christian worshipers during ceremonies.

Israeli restrictions on our freedom of worship constitutes a deliberate form of religious persecution, Diliani stated, this persecution is ideologically driven as evident by the discriminatory practices executed by consecutive governments of Israel against Christians and Muslims in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially in East Jerusalem.

Diliani warned that repeated assaults against worshipers will only lead to more unrest in the Occupied City of Jerusalem. He stressed that it is sadly ironic that Israel still gets away with it's superficial claims to democracy at a time it rules 3.5 million Christian and Muslim Palestinians against their will and systamatically infringe on our human, national and religious rights.

Diliani praised the public position of Churches in the Holy Land who rejected Israeli unwarranted interference in Christian religious affairs, and the Churches condemnation of assaults against worshipers on the hands of Israeli police during Holy Fire celebrations preceding Easter Sunday.