Israel's Ambassador to Italy, Jonathan Peled, summoned to the Italian Foreign Ministry Monday regarding Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa being denied access to Christianity's holiest site the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, " was told that Italy demands respect for the exercise of religious freedom, considering all believers who see Jerusalem as the cradle of their faith," the Farnesina said in a statement.
It said that the government "considers the reasons and methods of protest that Cardinal Pizzaballa has chosen to adopt absolutely understandable and entirely acceptable; it does not believe that further comments from officials can help advance the discussion." Peled had said "we would have preferred a different reaction from Italy" after officials including Premier Giorgia Meloni condemned the incident.
