The Israeli government has offered to arrange a scheduled visit by the leaders of Ireland's four main churches to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. It follows what one Israeli cabinet minister, Isaac Herzog, called this morning's 'mishap', when the delegation was turned away from Judaism's holiest site because they were wearing crucifixes.
The action is understood to have been prompted by an intervention from a Jewish settler.
The Irish churchmen wore their crosses at last night's national holy memorial service in the Holy City, which was attended by survivors of the 6m mostly Jewish people murdered by the Nazis, as well as by the full Israeli cabinet.
The minister also apologised for any embarrassment caused during this morning's unscheduled attempt to visit the wall and to place a prayer for peace there.
The local bishop accompanying the delegation, Dr Munib Younan, told RTÉ News when the Israeli security official agreed they could wear their crucifixes going through the Western Wall's checkpoint, a settler threatened to confront them.
Dr Younan said the official referred the matter to his superior officer and promised he would arrive at the scene to make a decision.
After seven or eight minutes, Dr Younan said Archbishop of Armagh Cardinal Seán Brady decided that he could not risk a confrontation with the settler.
He and the Church of Ireland Primate Dr Alan Harper, Presbyterian Moderator Dr John Finlay and the Methodist President Dr Roy Cooper went instead to a meeting at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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