Christianity in the Palestinian Territories
Christian Population (2015): 50,264
Percent Christian 1900: 11.65%
Percent Christian 2015: 1.08%
Major Churches: Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Maronite Catholic Church, Melkite Catholic Church, Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Armenian Apostolic Church, Coptic Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Anglican Church.
Smaller Churches: Russian Orthodox Church, Orthodox Church of Romania, Armenian Catholic Church, Chaldean Catholic Church, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Christian Brethren, Church of God, Church of the Nazarene, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventists.
Outlook: Christianity in the occupied Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip and West Bank is on the verge of disappearing. While Palestinian Christians are not persecuted for being Christians, they are harmed by the Israeli occupation just as much as their Muslim neighbors. It has proven easier for Palestinian Christians to emigrate to Europe and the Americans to escape the political instability than it has for Palestinian Muslims. In addition, Christian religious leaders in Jerusalem warn of the changing Status Quo that has enabled Christians, Muslims, and Jews to share contested sacred spaces for the last 300 years.
Learn More:
State Department 2018 International Religious Freedom Report
