Christian population in Bethlehem and other Palestinian-controlled towns on the verge of extinction

A study recently published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, an Israeli organization specializing in public diplomacy and foreign policy, revealed that the Christian population in the territories under Palestinian control, including the Gaza Strip controlled by Hamas, or in the West Bank, where the city of Bethlehem, administered by the Palestinian Authority, has been steadily shrinking over the past few years.

The Israeli organization indicated that at the end of the Ottoman period in The Holy Land and the beginning of the British Mandate in 1922, Christians accounted for 11% of the population, with 70,429 people.

In 1946, at the end of the British Mandate, the population increased to 145,063, but Christians made up only 8% of the total.

In 1949, the West Bank, then under Jordanian control, the Christian population was 51,053. The number dropped to 45,855 just 12 years later, according to the Jordanian census conducted at the time.

In 1967, after Israel wrested control of the West Bank from Jordan in the Six-Day War, the Christian population was reduced to 42,719, 6% of the total.

In 1997, the Palestinian Authority, which emerged during the 1993 Oslo Accords with Israel, conducted the first census, which yielded 40,055 Palestinian Christians, representing 1.5% of the total.

Ten years later, another census was conducted which revealed that the population increased slightly to 42,565 people, falling to 1.2%. 

A decade later, the number of Christians had increased to 46,850 but the percentage dropped again to 1%.

Persecution of Christians in Bethlehem

The Israeli organization also reported that in the city of Bethlehem, which is of great importance to Christians because, according to the Bible, it was the birthplace of Jesus, the population was drastically reduced.

In 1950, Christians represented 86% of the population of the city and its surroundings.

However, since the Palestinian Authority took control of Bethlehem in 1994, the population dropped to 10% in 2017.

According to the Israeli organization, the reasons for Christians to emigrate are related to socioeconomic hardship, instability, discrimination and harassment, including attacks on clerics by Palestinian Muslims and the Palestinian Authority.

The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs noted that Christians often face violence and intimidation by Muslims and authorities.

In 2022, a Muslim man was accused of harassing young Christian girls in a church in Beit Sahur, near Bethlehem. Shortly thereafter, the temple was attacked with stones by a mob of Palestinians as worshippers took refuge inside. The incident ended with a large number of injuries.

In April 2022, Palestinian authorities arrested Palestinian evangelical pastor Johnny Shahwan, who they accused of promoting the normalization of relations with Israel.

In October 2022, there was a shooting at a Christian-owned hotel in Bethlehem after a video was released linking the establishment to an exhibit featuring Jewish symbolism. No one was arrested for the incident.

A Protestant clergyman living in the West Bank said that Christians feel unprotected because Palestinian security forces do not intervene when they are attacked by Muslims.

In fact, he said that Christians often do not file complaints with the police because they do not trust them.

A Christian woman in the city of Beit Jala said that she was harassed by a man in the street, whom she later found wearing a police uniform.

Discrimination against Christians in the Palestinian judicial system

The study added that Christians are discriminated against in the Palestinian judicial system, particularly women, leaving them open to abuse, as perpetrators of crimes often have impunity.

Violations of religious freedom, a common occurrence

Christians in Gaza and the West Bank also suffer from ongoing personal harassment for practicing their faith.

The study noted that radical Muslims routinely disrupt Christian religious celebrations and threaten those who want to hold public celebrations.

In addition, Christmas trees are often set on fire, churches are desecrated and religious services are restricted.

Such violent events are not usually reported in the Palestinian media because the Palestinian Authority pressures Christians not to broadcast them, the organization said.

Regarding converts to Christianity, the situation is very complex in the West Bank, as they face threats and harsh pressure to renounce their faith and return to Islam.

However, the situation in Gaza, which is under the rule of the Hamas terrorist group, is even worse and extremely dangerous, which is why Christians often practice their faith in secret.

In addition, several cases of kidnappings and forced conversions to Islam were reported.

In 2016, the community of Orthodox Bishop Alexis of Gaza submitted a formal request to Hamas to investigate these cases but never received a response.

Rape and sexual harassment against Christian women have increased

According to the study, the Palestinian Authority's lack of response, either through ineptitude or unwillingness, has resulted in skyrocketing cases of rape and sexual harassment against Christian women.

In an unusual interview, a Christian teacher in Beit Jala stated in 2002 that harassment of Christian women began with the emergence of the Palestinian Authority in 1993.

In Gaza, there have been reported cases in which Christian women were kidnapped or heavily pressured to convert to Islam and marry Muslim men.

Discrimination against Christians occurs in almost all areas

Palestinian Christians are also discriminated against in employment and feel excluded from leadership positions.

In the West Bank, Christians have also faced significant obstacles in housing and property rights, both in buying and selling land. Authorities have for decades intimidated Christians by extorting money from members of this minority and confiscating land and property.

In January 2022, a violent group attacked Christian brothers Daud and Daher Nassar on their farm near Bethlehem with sticks and iron bars. Palestinian courts have attempted to confiscate land they have owned since Ottoman times.

Christian businesses are systematically boycotted and extorted, causing families in this community to suffer severe economic damage and many choose to emigrate.

Hamas, the main cause of the significant reduction of the Christian population in Gaza

The Christian population in Gaza dropped drastically since Hamas took power in 2007, from 5,000 people in that year to only 1,000 in October 2023.

This is due to socioeconomic problems, corruption, security concerns and religious persecution.

Palestinian leadership seeks to erase Christian history in the Holy Land

Curricula in Palestinian Authority schools often omit or distort Christian history in the Holy Land, which fosters prejudice among Muslim students towards Christians.

The study indicated that William Murray, president of the Coalition for Religious Freedom, said that some Christian families told him that Palestinian schools often indoctrinate children in hatred for murdering Jews and Americans, leaving them with the alternative of sending their children to expensive Christian schools.

The world sees a distorted picture of what is happening to Palestinian Christians

The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs concluded its study by indicating that the world usually has a distorted image of what happens to Christians in the West Bank and Gaza, as Palestinian authorities pressure members of this minority to adopt anti-Israel rhetoric, blame all their problems on Israel and the Jews and hide the oppression they are subjected to by the Palestinian leadership.

Palestinian Christians are afraid to speak the truth or condemn the oppression they suffer for fear of reprisals.

This distorted picture of the reality of Christians in the Palestinian-controlled territories is often echoed by the international community, resulting in a failure to improve their situation.