Bethlehem’s last Christians face persecution, violence, and erasure
The Christians of Bethlehem face a crisis as their dwindling community faces systematic Palestinian discrimination, harassment and violence in the cradle of Christianity, as well as being erased from the Palestinian Authority curriculum.
Jerusalem’s Christian community prepares for Christmas. The municipality continued its annual tradition of providing free Christmas trees on Dec. 19, 2024. Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL
One local Christian man spoke to The Press Service of Israel on condition of anonymity because he fears his family and business will be targeted by Palestinian Muslims. “During the war, everything went upside down. We’re talking about 45 families who have already left Bethlehem, just recently,” said G.
“I’m thinking of leaving next year,” he added, torn between hope for better days and the reality of raising children in Bethlehem’s current environment. “We lived a hard life. I don’t want my kids to go through the same. I want them to have opportunities to live like human beings, to succeed and be happy.”
The numbers speak volumes. In 1922, Christians comprised 11% of the population of the entire Holy Land. Today, they account for just 1% of the population in Palestinian territories. Nowhere is this more evident than Bethlehem. Once 86% Christian in 1950, the city’s Christian population plummeted to 10% by 2017, when the last Palestinian census took place.
“The Palestinian Authority fosters a hostile environment for Christians. This isn’t just societal but deeply institutional,” Maurice Hirsch, the director of the Initiative for Palestinian Authority Accountability and Reform at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs told TPS-IL. “Violence, harassment, and lack of legal recourse force Christians to either live in silence or leave.”
Disappearing From Palestinian Curriculum
Christians say the Palestinian Authority is erasing them from school curriculum.
“Palestinian school curricula often omit Christian contributions to the region’s history, focusing predominantly on Islamic heritage. This exclusion fosters ignorance and bias among younger generations,” Elias Zarina, co-founder and community manager of the Jerusalemite Initiative told TPS-IL. The Jerusalem-based non-profit encourages Arab Christian integration into Israeli society.
G. told TPS-IL that Palestinians respect Christian schools for offering high-quality education and that every school had a few Muslim students enrolled when he was growing up. But the situation today has changed.
“I studied in a Christian school for 14 years. We used to be 90% Christians,” G. explained. “Now, that’s down to 10%. Morning prayers in church are reduced to two or three times a week because many Muslim students, who are now the majority, refuse to attend.”
“If they don’t like us, why send their kids to our schools?” he asked.
The Christian community’s problems go beyond the classrooms.
“Christian women are not just victims of societal bias but also institutional neglect,” Zarina told TPS-IL. ” Without international pressure, their plight remains hidden. They face harassment, forced conversions, and even abductions. In Gaza, some women have been pressured into converting to Islam and marrying Muslim men, with no legal recourse or protection.”
Freedom of worship is another casualty. Converts to Christianity from Islam face threats and are forced to practice their faith in secrecy, especially in Gaza. Public Christian celebrations are often targeted, with Christmas trees burned, religious symbols desecrated and Christian leaders coerced into parroting anti-Israel narratives.
“The PA uses Christian leaders as political pawns,” said Hirsch. “They shift the blame for their struggles onto Israel while denying the role of Muslim-dominated authorities in the persecution. It’s shocking that the global Christian community turns a blind eye. These are their brethren, and yet their cries go unheard.”
Said Zarina, “Christian leaders are pressured to toe the line with the Palestinian narrative, while those who speak out risk backlash. The silence from Western governments and media perpetuates this cycle of abuse.”
Because of the war, Bethlehem cancelled Christmas celebrations for the second consecutive year, a significant blow to the local economy which is reliant on tourism — particularly during the Christmas season.
“Every Christmas, everyone talks about the Christians here,” said G. “But nothing changes. If the international community cared, they would support us through projects, education, and advocacy. But instead, we’re left alone.”
