Christians Prefer Living in Israel, Not the Palestinian Authority - by Bassam Tawil for the Gatestone Institute - 16.04.24

Among the top 50 countries in which Christians were persecuted in 2023 were Yemen, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Morocco, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, and other Middle Eastern and Muslim-majority countries. Israel, needless to say, was not on the list.

Despite these disturbing statistics, US television personality Tucker Carlson, in his interview with the Bethlehem pastor, chose to single out Israel, the only country where Christians feel safe and where their number is increasing every year. Carlson did not bother to ask the pastor about the persecuted Christians of Egypt.

Carlson chose to interview Isaac, who has long history of promoting falsehoods about Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict in his roles as pastor, academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College (a self-identified "Palestinian Christian Evangelical university college" that promotes a "Palestinian Christian theology"), and director of the "Christ at the Checkpoint" conferences -- the infamous venue where anti-Israel libels are proclaimed in the name of Christian love, justice and peace.

"Those of us who track these things know that Munther Isaac has long been the high priest of antisemitic Christianity; sadly, he spreads his hate from the city of Jesus' birth." — Rev. Johnnie Moore, president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, jewishinsider.com, April 11, 2024.

"We have a mafia here that is seizing Christian-owned lands. I protested against this Muslim mafia, and I even called a large gathering. I invited 80 people to my home. That same night, fliers were distributed in Bethlehem threatening to kill me. Of course, I am worried about the future of Christians here. Looking at the facts on the ground, you can see that there is no future for the Christians here. We are melting; we are disappearing. I fear the day will come when our churches will become museums. That is my nightmare." — Samir Qumsieh, prominent Christian leader near Bethlehem, to Gatestone, April 2024.

Since the Palestinian Authority (PA) assumed control of Bethlehem in 1995, the Christian share of the population has dropped from 65% to only 12% today. By contrast, the Christian population in Israel has been on the rise in recent years. "Most of us 180k Christian Israelis prefer to live under Israel freely rather than under a Palestinian Islamic Authority regime controlling Bethlehem. Israel gives us freedom while living under Arabs has been genocidal for Christians all across the Middle East," says Shadi Khalloul, a Christian Maronite who describes himself as a "patriotic Israeli." 

On the same day that US television personality Tucker Carlson interviewed a pastor from Bethlehem who falsely accused Israel of mistreating Christians, Israel's University of Haifa announced the appointment of Professor Mona Maron as Rector. A Maronite Christian from the village of Isfiya, near Haifa, Maron has been a trailblazer for the integration and advancement of women in the sciences, particularly within the Arab community. She was the first Arab woman from her village to earn a doctoral degree and Israel's first Arab professor of neuroscience.

"I am grateful for the trust I received from the members of the University senate and look forward to taking up the position," Maron said.

"First and foremost, the University of Haifa is a home for me. A home that welcomed me into its ranks more than 30 years ago, as an undergraduate student, then as a faculty member in the neurobiology department and now with the Rector's role."

Unlike Maron, the Bethlehem pastor, Munther Isaac, does not live in Israel and is not an Israeli citizen. Isaac lives and works in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, which has been controlled by the Palestinian Authority (PA) for the past three decades. Yet, the fact that Isaac does not live in Israel did not stop Carlson from providing him with a platform to flood Israel with hatred.

In 1948, Christians made up 85% of Bethlehem's population. Under Jordanian occupation between 1948 and 1967, the Christian share of the population declined to 40%. Israel then assumed control of Bethlehem from 1967 to 1995. By 1993, the Christian share of the city's population rose from 40% to 65%. Since the Palestinian Authority assumed control of Bethlehem in 1995, the Christian share of the population has dropped, to only 12% today.

By contrast, the Christian population in Israel has been on the rise in recent years. According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), about 187,900 Christians live in Israel, making up 1.9% of the population. In 2021, the population grew by 1.4% to 182,000, and in 2022, there was about 2% growth to 185,000, according to the CBS.

This contrasts not only with Bethlehem, but most countries in the Middle East, where Christian populations are declining due to the "horrifying growth" of the persecution of Christians, according to the organization Open Doors, which puts out an annual "World Watch List" of places that Christians suffer very high or extreme levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.

Among the top 50 countries in which Christians were persecuted in 2023 were Yemen, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Morocco, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, and other Middle Eastern and Muslim-majority countries. Israel, needless to say, was not on the list.

According to the Open Doors:

"More than 365 million (one in seven) Christians face high levels of persecution for their faith – and persecution is becoming dangerously violent in countries on the World Watch List.

"Attacks on churches and Christian properties sky-rocketed in 2023, as more Christians than ever reported violent attacks."

Last year, the organization revealed, 4,998 Christians were murdered in several countries around the world. Nigeria remains the deadliest place to follow Jesus; 82% of the murders occurred there. In addition, 14,766 churches and Christian properties were attacked last year, especially in India, China, Nigeria, Nicaragua, and Ethiopia.

Despite these disturbing statistics, Carlson, in his interview with the Bethlehem pastor, chose to single out Israel, the only country in the Middle East where Christians feel safe and where their number is increasing every year. Carlson did not bother to ask the pastor about the persecuted Christians of Egypt.

The British newspaper The Guardian reported on January 10, 2018:

"Christians in Egypt are facing unprecedented levels of persecution, with attacks on churches and the kidnap of girls by Islamist extremists intent on forcing them to marry Muslims, a report says.

For the full article, please click here or click on the link below for the pdf file:

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20581/christians-prefer-israel-not-palestinian-authority/

Christians Prefer Living in Israel, Not the Palestinian Authority - by Bassam Tawil for th.

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Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East.

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