Al-Quds’ (Jerusalem) Church of the Holy Sepulchre, seen by many as the holiest site in Christianity, reopened on Wednesday after a three-day closure to protest against Israeli tax measures and a proposed law.
The two men who act as keepers of the key of the church opened its large wooden doors at around 4:00 am (0200 GMT), ending the protest that began on Sunday at noon.
Shortly afterwards, a group of pilgrims arrived to visit the sacred site.
The closure — which seemed to be the longest since at least 1990 — had left thousands of pilgrims and tourists seeking to visit locked outside.
Christian leaders decided to reopen the church after occupation authorities suspended tax measures that they strongly oppose.
A proposed law that Christian leaders say would allow Israel to expropriate church land is also to be shelved, in a bid seen by many observers as an attempt by Tel Aviv to maneuver.
Source: Agencies
