Palestine Condemns 'Systematic Destruction' of Christian Presence by Israel

 

Palestine Condemns 'Systematic Destruction' of Christian Presence by Israel

By Allan Mbotshwa

​The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs (HPCCA) in Palestine has issued a strong condemnation of what it describes as the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Christian presence in the region by Israel.

The committee highlights a catastrophic demographic shift, noting that the Christian population in the occupied Palestinian territories has plummeted from 12.5% before 1948 to a mere 1% today.

​Ambassador Tamer Almassri was unequivocal in his assessment of the cause.

"This alarming decline is a direct consequence of Israel's policies of ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, land confiscation, and systematic repression," he stated.

He pointed to the displacement of 90,000 Palestinian Christians during the Nakba and the forced closure of approximately 30 churches as historical markers of this campaign.

​The ongoing conflict in Gaza, the Ambassador noted, has dramatically worsened the crisis.

The bombardment has already claimed the lives of 44 Palestinian Christians.

Furthermore, he cited the bombing of the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius and the Catholic Holy Family Church, where civilians had sought sanctuary, calling the targeting a "massacring" of those seeking refuge.

Key church-affiliated institutions, including Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, have also been hit, stripping the vulnerable community of essential services.