Two planes with 89 and 86 Christian passengers on board have left Cairo for Tel Aviv via Amman. These Christians want to go to Jerusalem for Easter celebrations. The church disapproves of travels to occupied Jerusalem for it means normalization with Israel, according to the decision of late Pope Shenouda III. Current Pope Tawadros II. follows this decision and said that violators of this rule would be punished by not receiving the Holy Communion.

Bishop Munīr Hanna, head of the Episcopal Church of Egypt, North Africa and the Horn of Africa said that "the Episcopal Church does not forbid or push its sons to visit Jerusalem, and who wants to visit the holy places has the right to do so. But we as Arab Christians see Jerusalem as not being part of Israel" (Author not named, al-Wafd, Apr. 12, p. 16). Read full text in Arabic here. (http://www.arabwestreport.info/ar/lsn-2014/lsbw-15/20-lhjj-lmsyhywn-ytjhlwn-thdydt-lbb-twdrws-wywslwn-ltdfq-l-lqds-lmhtl