Carlisle journalist sees impact of conflict on Easter celebrations

Paul Calvert first moved from Welton to the Middle East 21 years ago as a volunteer at a church but after routinely conducting interviews, he would go on to create community Christian radio station Hayah in Bethlehem. 

According to Paul, Easter is a grand celebration in Bethlehem and Jerusalem given its significance of bearing witness to Jesus' birth and crucifixion respectively.

However, this year’s celebration was greatly impacted as many Palestinians were unable to get to Jerusalem due to the imposed restrictions. He also pointed out the decline in tourism has affected traditional celebrations. 

"This year, of course, there are no tourists - we don't have the big aspect of how it's normally," Paul said. 

"Normally, it's a happy time but this year it's not, especially with many hostages still in Gaza." 

Paul Calvert first moved from Welton to the Middle East 21 years ago (Image: Supplied)

At the revered Garden Tomb, believed to be one of the potential burial sites of Christ, Paul noted the stark contrast to previous years.

"Usually, there's a great big queue of people trying to get in, but this year there was hardly anyone there, it was very small indeed," he said. 

As war broke out, the Garden Tomb was forced to close until mid-January. 

Speaking with Simon Holland, director of the Garden Tomb, Paul highlighted the challenges faced by the British charity responsible for maintaining the site, with a lack of numbers forcing the charity's hand to redundancies. 

"The numbers have reduced hugely, in March, we expected around 53,000 people to come, now it's around 4,500.

"It has a massive effect on the team here. As much as we can, the trustees are seeking to sustain the staff levels," Simon said. 

 "It's still very tense, and we don't know where things are going at the moment," Paul said. 

Reflecting on recent developments, including the tragic loss of aid workers and escalating hostilities, Paul urged solidarity and support for both Israelis and Palestinians.

"It's very easy to sit in your house and say they've done this and that but when you're a soldier fighting against a terrorist organisation who doesn't obey the rules, embedded themselves within a hospital, you have to make a very quick decision. And that's when mistakes are being made," Paul said. 

"It is safe for people to come to Israel, especially Jerusalem, and I would encourage people to come and support Israel and Palestine, both sides need support - now is the best time to come and show support for whichever side," Paul said.