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Israel looking for ‘solutions’ to open Christian sites after barring church leader on Palm Sunday due to war
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Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other major holy sites were closed on Palm Sunday under Israeli wartime restrictions, disrupting one of Christianity’s holiest observances as the Iran war entered its fifth week.
The Catholic Church rebuked the police decision as «a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.»
Israeli police lamented the war restrictions limiting worship and acknowledged the need to «balance freedom» with «public safety.»
«Under Home Front Command directives, life-saving restrictions apply to all holy sites in the Old City — for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike,» Israeli police posted to X, responding to an outcry on religious freedom in a video statement. «The Old City has been targeted by murderous missiles multiple times this month, alongside constant fire on residential areas.»
STATE DEPARTMENT HAS HELPED OVER 130 AMERICANS EVACUATE ISRAEL DURING WAR WITH IRAN, OFFICIAL SAYS
Issa Kassissieh, a Christian who is popular for being the Santa Claus of the city, holds a cross and a palm frond while standing at the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre after finding them locked, following the cancellation of the traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)
«These threats do not discriminate between religions, and neither does our duty to protect you,» the statement continued. «We are in active dialogue with religious leaders, including an upcoming meeting with the Patriarch, to examine solutions that balance freedom of worship with public safety.»
The Latin Patriarchate said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Father Francesco Ielpo were stopped by Israeli police while trying to reach the church privately to celebrate Mass, after the traditional Palm Sunday procession had already been canceled.
Israel President Isaac Herzog called the restricted worshipers to «express my great sorrow over this morning’s unfortunate incident.»
POPE LEO URGES WAR LEADERS TO HALT FIGHTING AFTER DEADLY STRIKE ON SCHOOL SPARKS OUTRAGE
«I clarified that the incident stemmed from security concerns due to the continuous threat of missile attacks from the Iranian terror regime against the civilian population in Israel, following previous incidents in which Iranian missiles fell in the area of the Old City of Jerusalem in recent days,» he wrote Sunday on X. «I reaffirmed the State of Israel’s unwavering commitment to freedom of religion for all faiths and to upholding the status quo at the holy sites of Jerusalem.»
The Italian government rebuked what it called an «offense» on «religious freedom» in the Holy Land.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, held a prayer service to mark Palm Sunday, following the cancellation of the traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives, amid restrictions on gathering in large groups and the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. (Ammar Awad/Pool)
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«The Italian government expresses closeness to Cardinal Pizzaballa, Father Ielpo and the religious who have been prevented today by the Israeli authorities from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass in the Holy Sepulchre,» Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote in a statement. «The Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a sacred place of Christianity, and as such to be preserved and protected for the celebration of sacred rites. Preventing the entry of the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Keeper of the Holy Land, moreover in a central solemnity for the faith such as Palm Sunday, constitutes an offense not only for believers, but for every community that recognizes religious freedom.»
ISRAEL’S LARGEST EVER MILITARY FLYOVER HAMMERS IRANIAN MILITARY TARGETS
The Latin Patriarchate said the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been hosting Masses that are not open to the public since the Iran war began Feb. 28, and it was unclear why Sunday’s Mass and access by the two priests was any different.
«It’s a very, very sacred day for Christians and in our opinion there was no justification for such a decision or such an action,» Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem spokesperson Farid Jubran said.
The church had requested permission from the police, he added, for a few religious leaders to enter the church for a private Mass on Sunday — not one that was open to the public.
SOUTH CAROLINA PASTOR DESCRIBES EVACUATING MEMBERS FROM MIDDLE EAST AFTER WAR BROKE OUT DURING ISRAEL TRIP
Pope Leo XIV, at the end of Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, prayed for all Christians in the Middle East who he said were living through an «atrocious» conflict. He said, «in many cases, they cannot live fully the rites of these holy days,» though he did not elaborate.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday evening that there was no «malicious intent» and that the cardinal was prevented from accessing the church because of safety concerns, but that Israel would try to partially open the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
«Given the holiness of the week leading up to Easter for the world’s Christians, Israel’s security arms are putting together a plan to enable church leaders to worship at the holy site in the coming days,» Netanyahu wrote on X.
The Western Wall, a holy site for Jews, is also mostly closed because of safety issues, but authorities are letting up to 50 people at a time pray in an enclosed area adjacent to the plaza.
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Smaller churches, synagogues and mosques are open in Jerusalem’s Old City if they are located within a certain distance of a bomb shelter deemed acceptable by Israel’s military and, if gatherings are kept under 50 people.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
israel, first amendment religion us, roman catholic
INTERNACIONAL
Masacre en Haití: al menos 20 muertos y decenas de casas incendiadas por un ataque de pandilleros en Jean-Denis
Un ataque armado perpetrado durante la madrugada de este domingo dejó al menos 20 muertos y una cifra indeterminada de heridos y desaparecidos en la localidad haitiana de Jean-Denis, en el departamento de Artibonite.
El asalto, atribuido a integrantes del grupo criminal de Savien, se produjo mientras la comunidad celebraba la tradicional fiesta La Ra-Ra, una de las festividades de Semana Santa más relevantes de la región.
El medio local Vant Bèf Info reportó que, además de las víctimas fatales, los agresores incendiaron decenas de viviendas y provocaron el desplazamiento forzoso de numerosas familias.
Según testimonios recogidos en la zona, hombres fuertemente armados irrumpieron en la población cerca del amanecer, abriendo fuego de manera indiscriminada y prendiendo fuego a las casas de los residentes.
La incursión generó escenas de pánico: familias enteras huyeron a pie, abandonando sus pertenencias y viviendas en llamas para ponerse a salvo en localidades vecinas. Hasta el momento, las autoridades no han difundido un balance definitivo sobre el número de heridos, desaparecidos y hogares destruidos.
La masacre se produce en un contexto de escalada de violencia en la región de Artibonite, donde bandas armadas mantienen el control territorial y operan con amplia impunidad.
El grupo criminal de Savien, señalado como responsable del ataque, ha incrementado su influencia en la zona en los últimos años a través de asesinatos, extorsiones, desplazamientos forzados y destrucción de propiedades. Las autoridades locales y la población civil denuncian la ausencia de protección y la falta de respuestas concretas por parte del Estado haitiano, que no ha logrado contener el avance ni restablecer el orden en estos territorios.
La inseguridad en la región ha generado una situación humanitaria crítica. El aumento de ataques armados, secuestros y enfrentamientos ha obligado a miles de personas a abandonar sus hogares cada año.
La expansión de las bandas criminales fuera de la capital ha dejado a comunidades rurales como Jean-Denis en una situación de extrema vulnerabilidad, sin acceso regular a servicios básicos, atención sanitaria ni posibilidades de retorno seguro. El cierre de comercios, la suspensión de clases y la paralización de la vida comunitaria son consecuencias directas de la violencia.
De acuerdo con el último informe del Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos, entre marzo de 2025 y mediados de enero de 2026 se registraron más de 5.500 muertes y 2.600 heridos por violencia armada en Haití.
“Haití sigue enfrentando los niveles alarmantes de violencia pandillera, que afectan al ejercicio de los derechos humanos”, recoge el informe.
El documento alerta sobre el aumento de ejecuciones sumarias y el uso excesivo de la fuerza por parte de las fuerzas de seguridad, así como la proliferación de actos de “justicia popular” ante la ausencia de Estado. El organismo internacional también advierte sobre la crisis de desplazados internos, con miles de familias obligadas a huir de sus hogares en busca de seguridad.
“Es esencial que las autoridades garanticen la seguridad respetando al mismo tiempo plenamente los derechos humanos”, pidió en un comunicado el Alto Comisionado de Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos, Volker Türk.
En paralelo, la comunidad internacional también ha intensificado sus llamados al gobierno haitiano para que refuerce sus capacidades institucionales y garantice la protección efectiva de los ciudadanos. Sin embargo, las iniciativas puestas en marcha hasta el momento han resultado insuficientes frente a la escalada de ataques armados y la crisis humanitaria.
La urgencia de medidas concretas y sostenibles para restablecer el orden y proteger a la población civil es reconocida tanto por actores locales como internacionales. La masacre de Jean-Denis se suma a una larga lista de tragedias recientes que subrayan la gravedad de la crisis de seguridad que atraviesa Haití y la necesidad de una respuesta coordinada y eficaz para evitar nuevas víctimas.
(Con información de EFE)
incendio,fuego,destrucción,emergencia,daños,estructura,llamas,humo,siniestro
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Scathing report claims nation’s oldest labor union ‘betrayed’ MAGA members through ‘shocking’ spending
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FIRST ON FOX: One of the nation’s most prominent railroad unions is facing new scrutiny after a watchdog report alleged its leadership is quietly working against the political views of its members who support President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The report, released by the American Accountability Foundation (AAF), claims the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), one of the nation’s oldest labor unions, is run by leaders who are endorsing and promoting Democratic policies and candidates despite a membership base that data suggests largely supports the president.
The report, which alleges the union «betrayed» its MAGA members, points to the union’s endorsement of the Harris-Walz ticket in the 2024 election cycle, as well as its ties to prominent Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is running for Senate again.
While BLET has touted Republicans in recent years, including earlier this year when it applauded Vice President JD Vance and the bipartisan reintroduction of the Railway Safety Act (RSA), the report highlights repeated criticism of Trump-era policies, including transportation regulations, immigration enforcement and the conservative-backed Project 2025 agenda, alongside praise for the policies of the Biden administration.
WORKERS SAY ‘I LIKE UNIONS, I JUST DON’T LIKE MY UNION’ — HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE DISCOVERING
President Donald Trump attends a ceremony to rename a four-mile stretch of Southern Boulevard in Palm Beach County, Florida, to «President Donald J. Trump Boulevard» on Jan. 16, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
A review of the union’s social media account by AAF shows numerous examples of the union opposing various moves by the first Trump administration during his presidential campaign against incumbent Joe Biden, which the report describes as evidence of «woke leadership.»
«In the lead-up to the 2024 election, BLET issued 14 tweets that criticized the actions of the first Trump administration while praising the Biden administration’s railroad policies,» the report says. «The messaging was clearly intended to skew union members toward the Democratic presidential ticket. In these tweets, they attacked nearly every major Trump-era rail policy decision while framing the Biden administration’s actions positively.»
The union’s public support of Democrats had a financial angle as well, as the report states that the organization spent more than $26 million on political activity in recent years, with the vast majority supporting Democratic candidates and causes to a degree that AAF referred to as «shocking.»
According to the report, 99% of the union’s party committee donations went to Democrats.
«For example, in the 2016 cycle, BLET donated $15,000 to the DNC when they were the nexus for GOTV for the Hillary Clinton campaign but never donated a dollar to the RNC,» the report says. «In 2024, long after it had become clear that industrial union membership was strongly behind President Trump, the BLET leadership still hadn’t gotten the message, making 24 different donations to Democrat party committees for a total of $53,400 and a mere two donations to Republican committees for a spare $2000.»
LEAKED TEACHERS’ UNION K-12 TRAINING PRESENTATION RAILS AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, RED STATES
According to the report, the divide reflects a broader shift in American politics, with blue-collar workers increasingly backing Trump while union leadership remains entrenched in traditional left-leaning positions.
The report goes beyond the union’s spending on politics and delves into what it calls «waste and abuse» in the form of millions of dollars of member dues being shelled out for travel, hotels and «swag.»
«While it’s bad enough that BLET spent over $5,000,000 on hotels and conferences, even more concerning is the fact that the union spent over $2,000,000 on casinos and resorts alone,» the report says. «The union appears more concerned with staying at entertaining destination resorts than they do being thrifty with their members’ dues.»
Recent polling shows that labor unions like BLET consist of a large number of workers who support Trump, including Teamsters polling that shows a 60/40 breakdown in favor of Trump and exit polling from the 2024 election that shows working-class voters without a college degree went 56% for Trump and 42% for Harris.
The report also points to leadership compensation as part of the disconnect, noting multiple top officials earning over $200,000 annually, with the union president and vice president each making more than $300,000.
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Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen take part in a strike outside New Jersey Transit’s headquarters on May 16, 2025, in Newark. (Kena Betancur/Getty Images)
«The men pulling America’s freight voted for President Trump because they believe in secure borders and putting American workers first,» AAF President Tom Jones said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
«But their union bosses are busy living large on member dues and carrying water for the Left. They’ve turned a blue-collar brotherhood into a woke political machine that’s doing everything it can against the Trump-Vance agenda, and likewise, against everyday railroad workers. Every BLET member should be asking where their hard-earned dollars are really going.»
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a BLET spokesperson said: «We do not comment on false press releases by dark money groups who have no accountability to the truth.»
politics, labor unions, donald trump
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