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Thousands of Christian pilgrims mark Palm Sunday in Jerusalem

As one of the few cities in the Middle East where religious freedom exists, Jerusalem hosted massive Palm Sunday celebrations for Christian pilgrims over the weekend.

By Associated Press

Thousands of Christian pilgrims took part in Palm Sunday celebrations in Jerusalem this weekend.

Worshipers carried palm fronds and olive branches and marched from the top of the Mount of Olives to the Old City of Jerusalem. Israeli officials reported an estimated 15,000 people took part in the procession.

Israel remains one of the only places in the Middle East in which Christians worship freely without fear of persecution.

Palm Sunday represents the start of the church’s most solemn week, representing a key day before the Easter celebration.

The Palm Sunday procession made its way from the Mount of Olives past the Garden of Gethsemane, then finally into the alleyways of the Old City.