Palestinian Christian Leaders Respond to Netanyahu’s UN Address on Christian Decline

Palestinian Christian leaders have responded to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent address to the United Nations General Assembly, where he claimed that the migration of Christians from Bethlehem has increased since Israel assumed national authority there. Ramzi Khori, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Chairman of the Supreme Presidential Committee for the Follow-up of Churches in Palestine, stated that these allegations stand in stark contrast to the reality faced by Palestinian Christians.

Khori asserted that the decline in the Christian presence is driven by occupation policies, including settlement expansion, the confiscation of land, and restrictions on movement and worship. He described a pattern of ongoing violations that includes attacks on churches, monasteries, holy places, clergy, and Christian citizens, as well as the seizure of property and the imposition of taxes and fees on church institutions.

The response highlighted that these violations extend across various Palestinian areas, affecting not only places of worship but also the daily lives of Christian communities. Khori noted that settlement policies, displacement, and pressure on the Christian presence continue, contributing to the erosion of their historical existence in the region.

Specific attention was given to Christian educational institutions in Jerusalem, where restrictions on their work and the access of teachers and staff have been documented. Khori emphasized that targeting these institutions is inseparable from the broader targeting of the elements necessary for the survival and continuity of Christian society in Palestine.

Recent incidents cited in the response include an attack on the Church of John the Baptist in Haifa and an attack on an Armenian monastery, alongside repeated attacks on churches and monasteries in the West Bank and Jerusalem. These events are characterized by the leadership as part of an ongoing course of violations against freedom of worship, education, and land ownership, rather than isolated occurrences.

The Presidential High Commission documented a wide range of violations against churches, sacred places, and Christian society in its 2026 report, according to Khori. The leadership maintained that these actions contravene norms and obligations relating to the protection of religious and cultural sites and the freedom of worship, challenging the narrative presented by the Prime Minister regarding the protection of Christians.

In the face of such claims and counter-claims, the call for truth and accountability remains central to the Christian witness in the Holy Land. As the community navigates these tensions, the imperative to seek peace and uphold justice is reflected in the biblical exhortation to live peaceably with all people, as noted in Romans 12:18, and to be peacemakers, as urged in Matthew 5:9.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Arabic)