The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs (HPCCA) in Palestine strongly condemns the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Christian presence in the region by Israel. This reprehensible campaign, which has been ongoing for decades, has resulted in a sharp decline in the Christian population in the occupied Palestinian territories, from 12.5% before 1948 to a mere 1%.
Ambassador Tamer Almassri emphasizes that this alarming decline is a direct consequence of Israel’s policies of ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, land confiscation, and systematic repression. The displacement of 90,000 Palestinian Christians during the Nakba, the forced closure of around 30 churches, and the ongoing bombardment of Gaza, which has claimed the lives of 44 Palestinian Christians, are all stark reminders of Israel’s relentless assault on the Christian community.
The genocidal war in Gaza has further exacerbated this crisis, with Israel bombing the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius (3rd oldest church in the world) and the Catholic Holy Family Church, massacring civilians who had sought refuge there. Additionally, church-affiliated institutions such as Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital and the Orthodox Arab Cultural and Social Center have been targeted, leaving the already vulnerable Christian population without access to essential services.
Furthermore, Israel’s actions in Jerusalem, including the freezing of Orthodox Patriarchate accounts, the imposition of heavy taxes on church properties, and the seizure of Armenian church properties, are a blatant attempt to strangle the Christian presence in the Holy Land. In Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, illegal settlements, military checkpoints, and the separation wall are suffocating the city, while lands belonging to Palestinian Christians are being confiscated for settlement construction.
Ambassador Almassri views Israel’s actions as a clear attempt to erase the Christian presence in Palestine and replace it with a false narrative of protection and preservation. The recent address by Israeli fascist leader Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly, in which he claimed that Israel is protecting Christians, is a cynical and misleading attempt to mask the true intentions of the Israeli government.
The state of Palestine reaffirms that the defense of the Christian presence in Palestine is not only a local matter but a global human, moral, and legal cause. The international community must recognize the gravity of this situation and take immediate action to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian Christian community.
