Israel's Ambassador to Portugal, Oren Rozenblat, strongly rejected claims made by the newspaper "Expresso" that Israel is making it "increasingly difficult to be Christian", reaffirming his country's commitment to religious freedom. He says the opposite: "Israel makes it increasingly easy to be Christian"
The diplomatic friction began following an international article published by the Portuguese outlet Expresso titled "Israel makes it increasingly difficult to be Christian", which detailed a rise in reported incidents and security measures restricting access to holy sites in Jerusalem.
Rozenblat responded publicly and reaffirmed the State of Israel’s "unwavering commitment to freedom of religion for all faiths" and its pledge to uphold the historic status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites. He added a recent high-profile security incident involving the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, who were temporarily barred from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He clarified that the restrictions were due to active threats and missile risks from Iran targeting Jerusalem, rather than targeting Christians.
The dispute highlights a period of heightened diplomatic activity between Israel and Portugal. Rozenblat has frequently clashed with Portuguese media and officials over documentation regarding the conflict in the Middle East, previously dismissing reports on Gaza as "Hamas propaganda" and criticizing potential shifts in Portugal’s European Union trade policies.
