How Hamas and PA Rule Are Driving Christians Out of the Holy Land
According to a new study, the number of Christians in areas controlled by Hamas and the Palestinian Authority has significantly dropped by up to 90% in some communities.
The study, conducted by the Israeli think tank Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, noted that the decline is attributed to economic hardships, discrimination, and violence, which threaten Christianity's survival in its historic heartland.
In 1922, Christians made up 11% of the population in geographical Palestine. By 2024, however, this number had dwindled to 1%.
"The international community often disregards the plight of the Palestinian Christian community. While minor clashes with some Israeli Jewish extremists are reported in hyper-focus in the media, the PA represses the reporting of grave incidents of Christian systemic oppression, the stories never seeing the light of day," Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch and attorney Tirza Shorr, who co-authored the report, stated.
"Often, Christian individuals are afraid to report hate incidents in the PA for fear of being arrested or worse. This creates a skewed picture, one eagerly adopted by Western governments and media outlets."
In October 2023, the Christian population was only 1,000 people, a major decrease from 5,000 in 2007, prior to Hamas' conquest of Gaza.
According to The Christian Post, Christians have left their communities due to several factors, including religious and legal discrimination, the desecration of holy sites, and social exclusion.
For example, Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem, and its surrounding villages were 86% Christian in 1950. By the last census in 2017, however, the Christian population had decreased to about 10%.
Systemic socioeconomic challenges, instability, and harassment by both Muslim Palestinians and the Islam-dominated Palestinian Authority are cited in the report as the reasons for Bethlehem's decline.
"The mass exodus of the Christians risks undermining the survival of Christianity in its birthplace," the researchers conclude.
Similarly, the Christian population in Aleppo, Homs, and Damascus face hardship after Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and U.K., conquered the region earlier this month.
"The coming days and weeks will be crucial for the fate of [the] Christian community," said Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, in a statement shared with The Christian Post. "Christians, with roots stretching back nearly two millennia, now face an uncertain and perilous future."
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Alexi J. Rosenfeld / Stringer
Originally published December 27, 2024.
