Just the Facts: Christians in the Holy Land

  • Christians were 80 percent of the population in and around Bethlehem when Israel was founded.
  • Christians make up just 12 percent of that population today.
  • There are between 200,000 and 300,000 Christians in Israel and Palestine.
  • About half of Christians in the Holy Land are Greek Orthodox.
  • In Latin America, Christian Palestinians make up approximately 85 percent of all Palestinian immigrants.
  • 20 to 25% of Christians in Palestine feel discrimination when searching for jobs or when seeking government services.
  • Surveys show that the desire to emigrate is much higher among Palestinian Christians than Palestinian Muslims.
  • Because of the Nakba, Christians in the Holy Land dropped from 8% to 2.3% of the population.
  • 32.6% of Christians cite lack of freedom and security as a reason they emigrate.
  • 26.4% cite the worsening economy as the reason for their emigration.
  • Christians in other Middle Eastern countries, such as Syria and Egypt, have also faced problems and persecution that are leading to emigration.

Sources

Learning More 

To learn more you can watch The Stones Cry Out. And we have a playlist of related videos on YouTube.