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Post details: Zionist Occpation Forces prevent Christian baptism ceremony to mark Epiphany on Jordan River while Zionist officials tout freedom of "access to holy sites" for residents of "Judea and Samaria"
Zionist Occpation Forces prevent Christian baptism ceremony to mark Epiphany on Jordan River while Zionist officials tout freedom of "access to holy sites" for residents of "Judea and Samaria"
January 18th, 2010 by 
Christians mark Epiphany on Jordan River
[MaanImages]
JERICHO – Eastern calendar Christians celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany on the west bank of the Jordan River on Monday, commemorating the baptism of Jesus.
Thousands of Christians came from Europe, Russia, and Ethiopia joined Palestinian Christians despite pouring rain and swelling river banks.
Hundreds from Jordan also joined in from the east bank of the Jordan, shouting greetings to friends and loved ones on the Palestinian side.
Pilgrims noted a heavy Israeli military presence, and were prohibited from performing the traditional baptisms at the site. Onlookers said military cordons were placed between the pilgrims and the water.
Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III officiated the celebrations, arriving early in Jericho to meet with local leaders and Christian officials in the city.
Jericho Governor Kamel Hemed told the patriarch that the Palestinian Authority was committed to the preservation of Christian traditions in the Holy Land, noting the teachings of Jesus Christ on humanity and dignity were essential in the achievement of peace in the region.
Hemed passed greetings from President Mahmoud Abbas to the assembled, and to all Christians in Palestine.
The governor also registered anger over Israel's apparent prohibition against scout groups carrying the Palestinian flag during their marching band processions.
After his meeting with Hemed, Theophilos III traveled to the Church of John the Baptist, near the banks of the Jordan, where he gave mass and walked to the water with his congregation, concluding the ceremony.
Israel's Civil Administration, the branch of its Defense Ministry that organized the event, said the pilgrimage was just one of many each year.
"The Civil Administration is committed to ensuring access to holy sites for all residents of Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]," said spokesman Lee Hiromoto.
"We also organize group tours and events throughout the year, and Christians are welcome," he added.
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