It’s Holy Week, but Jerusalem’s Old City is quiet and eerily empty

Washington Post correspondent Sammy Westfall brings credible on-the-ground reporting from Jerusalem during Holy Week, leveraging the outlet's strong international bureau network and the author's direct observation of near-empty pilgrimage sites. The reporting is grounded in specific detail (Austrian Hospice booking windows, solitary guest anecdotes) that suggests firsthand reporting, though the article relies heavily on descriptive atmosphere rather than explicit sourcing from named officials or data quantifying the decline in pilgrims. Readers should note that while the evocative 'eerily empty' framing effectively conveys the scene, the article appears to lack context explaining *why* pilgrim numbers have dropped—whether due to cost, safety concerns, travel restrictions, or other factors—which would be essential for assessing whether this reflects a temporary disruption or structural change in religious tourism.