Christians in Palestine are descendants of the world’s oldest Christian communities, but they are prevented from visiting the most sacred Christian sites.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the holiest Christian site, is not accessible to most Palestinian Christians.
Bethlehem, the Biblical birthplace of Jesus, has now been surrounded by Israeli roadblocks and checkpoints.
There are around 1 million Palestinian Christians across the world.
A deeper dive.
Palestine is a very special place for Christians because it is where Jesus was born, preached, died by crucifixion and was resurrected by God. The holiest site in the world for many Christians is the Tomb of Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Every year millions of Christians from across the world travel to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to see the Christian holy sites. 2.5 million Christians visited Jerusalem and Bethlehem in 2019.
But it isn’t so easy for Palestinian Christians. There are around 50,000 Christians in Palestine, mostly living in Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Ramallah. There are around 1 million Palestinian Christians across the world.
For Christians in Bethlehem, it is very difficult to visit the holy sites in Jerusalem, despite living only 15 miles away. Israeli checkpoints and the Apartheid Wall mean that permits are required to travel this short distance and Israel often refuses to grant these permits. Sometimes just one member from each family is given a permit.
For Christians in Gaza, it is near impossible to visit Jerusalem or Bethlehem. Gaza has been under siege since 2007, which means that Israel has totally sealed it off from the rest of the world. The siege of Palestinian Christians in Gaza amounts to collective punishment, which is prohibited under Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Join #TeamFOA today to help protect the right of Palestinian Christians to visit their holy sites.
