Jerusalem, 24 December, 2024 (TPS-IL) -- 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 Palestinian Authority curriculum.
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.