The leaders of Ireland's four main Christian Churches have accepted an apology from the Israeli government after a Jewish settler prevented them from praying for peace at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Holocaust Memorial Day. The enraged settler blocked the way to Judaism's holy place because three of the men, including Cardinal Sean Brady, were wearing crucifixes which he took exception to as a symbol of Christ's death by Jews.
This incident took place after an Israeli security guard agreed that the Irish church leaders, who are on a five-day peace mission to the Holy Land, could wear their crosses going through the checkpoint.
The local Lutheran Bishop, Munib Younan, who was accompanying Cardinal Brady; the Church of Ireland Primate, Alan Harper; the Presbyterian Moderator, John Findlay and Methodist President Roy Cooper, said that an angry settler threatened to stop them.
To avoid a confrontation that would have had serious diplomatic repercussions, the churchmen did not proceed with their visit.
Storm
After seven or eight minutes of consultations in Hebrew between the Israeli guard and Bishop Younan, Cardinal Brady decided that the Irish delegation would have to move on to keep an appointment at the Israeli ministry for foreign affairs.
Last night a spokesman for the Irish church leaders was at pains to explain that they had not been turned away, and that the incident was "a storm in a tea-cup".
Cardinal Brady revealed that after visiting the famous Al-Aqsa mosque they had decided to pay an unscheduled visit to the Western Wall and had not had the opportunity to coordinate the visit with the Israeli authorities.
"We encountered some difficulty in gaining access to the wall and the difficulty arose over our wearing crosses.
A security guard promised to bring some senior officers to resolve the matter," the Cardinal said. "But we were under constraints of time to be at another meeting scheduled in the ministry for foreign affairs."
The Cardinal said that later on during a visit to the ministry for social affairs, minister Isaac Hertzog, whose grandfather, Yitzhak Hertzog, was the first Grand Chief Rabbi of Ireland graciously conveyed an apology, which was accepted.
"I think the matter should rest there," Cardinal Brady said. "We have experienced the height of courtesy and co-operation from the ministry."
The cardinal acknowledged the sensitivity surrounding the wearing of crucifixes, and he regretted any inconvenience cause by the incident.
Peace
"We had just a short amount of time, and it was a pity that we were unable to pay a visit and say a prayer at the wall as has been done by many other leaders," he said.
"The important thing is that we pray in our own hearts for peace for this land and for the territories. That is the purpose of our pastoral visit to the people, and we certainly do not want anything we do to cause an upset, because we want to contribute to peace and understanding."
Minister Herzog invited the churchmen to visit the wall today, but last night a spokesman for the church leaders said that their schedule might not allow them to do so before their return to Belfast tomorrow.
Following breakfast this morning with Irish and UK representatives, the Irish leaders have a busy round of meetings with various church groups and plan to visit the Garden of Gethsemane.
In the evening the leaders will attend a synagogue service followed by a meal with Rabbi Levi Kellman.
On Wednesday Cardinal Brady became the first Catholic Primate of All Ireland to visit the Gaza strip, where he appealed to Israel to reconsider its refusal of a six-month truce offered by Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza.
On Wednesday evening the four leaders attended a service at the Holocaust Memorial addressed by the Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert.
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