Israel and Palestine - Country profile

Churches in the Middle East, and particularly Israel and Palestine, are “threatened in their very existence,” Pope Benedict XVI told Aid to the Church in Need when exhorting the charity to redouble efforts to help Christians there in 2007.

With Christian emigration still a major problem, the problem has not improved since then.

In 2011 and the first few months of 2012 there was an increase in sporadic acts of aggression towardsChristians in the environs of Jerusalem with hard-line ultra-Orthodox Jews, in particular the Yad L’Achim group, targeting Messianic Jews. Settlers disaffected with government policies have also taken out their aggression on religious targets, including church buildings and graveyards.

Christian emigration continues – a key reason for this being a deepening climate of discrimination affecting Christians and other minorities, particularly by Islamists in thePalestinianTerritories.

West Bank Barrier causing economic problems

Not all reasons for emigrating are religious in nature. The continuing problems caused by the West Bank Barrier are a contributing factor. This is a 420-mile (670km) barrier whichIsraelbegan building in and around theWest Bankin 2002 after a wave of suicide bombings by militants.

Christians in the PalestinianTerritorieshave reported major economic problems caused by the resulting restrictions on their movement. While the Israeli military says it is alleviating restrictions and that thousands of landowners have permits to reach their farms, farmers in the PalestinianTerritoriesclaim the army frequently does not grant them the regular access to their land on the other side of the security wall. (Source: Associated Press, 15 September 2011)

Bethlehem, which overlooks the barrier, reflects many of the issues faced by Christians. In 2000 half the population of urbanBethlehemwas Christian, but in the years since at least 10 percent have emigrated. According to UN statistics, the monthly average of tourists enteringBethlehemfell from nearly 100,000 to fewer than 10,000 in the space of four years. The 200 tourist buses that arrived every day had dwindled to barely a dozen by 2006.

Fewer tourists meant that Christians who made their living as wood carvers were badly affected economically leading to emigration. According to UN figures, in 2008 70 percent of people in the town were living in poverty. Aid to the Church in Need began helping some of the families of wood carvers to remain inBethlehemby selling their goods to its benefactors, thus providing a vital income stream. Tourist access toBethlehemhas improved over the last few years. According to the BBC, more than 100,000 people visited the city over the Christmas period in 2010 – the highest in a decade – rising to 120,000 visitors in 2011.

Priests, Sisters and seminarians hit by visa restictions

The Israeli government has made it harder for non-Israeli priests, religious, and seminarians to get visas which are now valid only for one year instead of two. Fr Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Franciscan Custodian of theHoly Land, said: “There is a bit of confusion. We do not know whether it reflects ministerial policy or if it is due to certain officials dragging their feet. Perhaps it is an ambiguity that is intended.”

The visa problem has made it especially difficult for seminarians training for the Latin Patriarchate, whose jurisdiction coversIsrael, thePalestinianTerritories,JordanandCyprus. Students train at the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem seminary in Beit Jala, nearBethlehem. At present restrictions are growing, especially for Jordanians who constitute two thirds of seminarians. Their visas are very often valid for only one entry. In the past, they had multiple-entry visas, enabling them to visit their families three or four times a year. In the case of Jordanians these restrictions are remarkable, asJordanandIsraelsigned a peace treaty in 1994.

Problems in the Palestinian territories

Christians also face significant difficulties in areas under the Palestinian National Authority, both in theWest Bankbut more especially in the Gaza Strip. Since Hamas took overGazain June 2007, Christians have come under pressure from Islamists to conform to Muslim practices. For example women have been forced to cover their heads in public and police have stopped Christians from selling alcohol. As Islamisation has increased, men have been banned from appearing bare-chested onGazabeaches. Clothes shops have been told to remove mannequins displaying lingerie. (Source: Reuters, 4 August 2009)

Some Muslims regard Christians as symbols of the West, responsible for their problems. Christian homes, shops and churches have been attacked frequently. In a massively overpopulated region of 1.5 million people – of whom half are children – there are no more than 5,000 Christians.

In the West Bank, Christians have been subject to pressure from Islamist groups whose appeal is growing among the population. According to Michael Oren,Israel’s ambassador to theUnited States, the Christian population in the area, once more than 15 percent, is now less than 2 percent.

Muslims have been buying up souvenir shops around the Basilica of the Nativity. “In the 1950s, there was only one mosque inBethlehem,” a local woman told Aid to the Church in Need. She added: “Today, there are many more, built on purpose near Christian places of worship.”

Key projects

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  Construction of a pastoral centre on Mount Carmel in Galilee

  Archbishop Sayah of Haifa is hoping that the construction of a pastoral centre in the small town of Isfya, on Mount Carmel, will help Christians to live their faith together; encouraging them to stay in the Holy Land and not emigrate. Above all, your generosity is helping young people in this parish to be strengthened in their Christian identity.
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Last updated: 16/05/2011