Western media outlets are accusing Israel of endangering Christians in the Holy Land, claiming “settler attacks” and “rising hostility.” But the facts tell a very different story. Christians in Israel are thriving. It’s in Palestinian Authority and Hamas-controlled territories — not Israel — where Christianity is disappearing.
The Real Crisis: Under Palestinian Rule, Not Israeli
A December 2024 Catholic News Agency report alleged growing danger for Christians in Bethlehem. But Bethlehem and its surrounding villages have been under Palestinian Authority (PA) rule since the mid-1990s, not Israel.
Under that rule, the Christian population has collapsed — from 86% in 1950 to about 10% by 2017, according to All Arab News (Dec 24 2024). Discrimination, harassment, and fear of Islamist extremism have pushed thousands of families to emigrate.
In Gaza, where Hamas took power in 2007, Christianity has nearly vanished. Before Hamas rule, Gaza had around 5,000 practicing Christians. By October 2023, that number had dropped to roughly 1,000, as reported by the Jerusalem Post (Dec 23 2024).
The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) describes this phenomenon as “Christian demographic erasure,” citing intimidation of clergy, attacks on churches, and forced conversions under Islamist governance.
“Demographics don’t lie. We are witnessing a significant 80–90 percent decline in the Christian population in major cities.” — JCPA Research Team, Jerusalem Post, Dec 23 2024
Meanwhile, Christianity Is Growing in Israel
While Christian life collapses in PA- and Hamas-controlled areas, Israel’s Christian population continues to grow. As of December 2024, there were 180,300 Christian citizens in Israel — about 1.8 percent of the population, up 0.6 percent from the previous year (JNS, Dec 25 2024).
Most live peacefully in Nazareth, Haifa, and Jerusalem, where churches, schools, and Christian institutions operate freely. Christians in Israel vote, hold public office, and serve as doctors, judges, and soldiers.
Even outspoken Arab Christians reject the claim that Israel persecutes believers.
“I’m a Christian Arab Israeli and son of a priest from Nazareth. While you spread ridiculous conspiracies about my country, I live in the only country in the region where Christianity is growing.” — Yoseph Haddad, X (Post), Oct 2025
Experts Warn of Christianity’s Disappearance Under the PA
Middle East scholar Dr. Edy Cohen of the BESA Center has long warned that Palestinian Authority misrule and Islamist radicalization are threatening the faith’s birthplace.
“The ongoing neglect of Christians under PA rule could lead to the disappearance of Christianity from the place where it emerged.” — Dr. Edy Cohen, BESA Center, May 27 2019
His warning echoes the hard data: cities once synonymous with Christian heritage — Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour — have become majority Muslim, while young Christians emigrate for safety and opportunity.
Israel protects Christians. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority persecute them. In the one country in the Middle East where the Christian population is rising, churches ring freely on Christmas Eve. Just miles away, under Palestinian and Hamas control, they are falling silent.
