In what can only be described as an ironic and deeply troubling statement, a group of Palestinian Arab Christian leaders has issued a Christmas message that places near-total blame on Israel for the hardships of local Christians, even as Islamic radicals torch churches and drive fellow believers out of Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Jenin.
The statement, released by a group called “A Jerusalem Voice for Justice”, is signed by prominent Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Lutheran figures—including Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah, Greek Orthodox Archbishop Attallah Hanna, and Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan. It speaks of “genocide” in Gaza, accuses the Israeli army and so-called Jewish “settlers” of conducting “a regime of terror” in Judea and Samaria, and claims Israeli policies are meant to “Judaize” Jerusalem.
It reads as if the only obstacle to peace and Christian flourishing in the Holy Land is the Jewish state of Israel.
Yet the facts tell a starkly different story.
Christians thriving in Israel, fleeing the Palestinian Authority
According to data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the Christian population inside Israel grew to over 180,000 by Christmas 2024, with continued growth expected into 2026. These Christians enjoy full religious freedom, hold seats in the Knesset, and include doctors, judges, and senior military officers among their ranks.
By contrast, the Christian population under Palestinian rule has seen dramatic decline. In Bethlehem, Christians made up over 80% of the population in 1950. Today, they account for less than 10%. In cities like Jenin and Gaza, Christians live in fear of Muslim majorities that have grown increasingly radicalized.
As reported by Israel Today, Palestinian Christians are fleeing primarily because of intimidation, land theft, and Islamist threats—not because of Israeli policies.
In fact, just days after this latest church statement was published, a Christmas tree outside the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Jenin was set on fire by local Muslims. Jenin is a known Hamas stronghold, and the church is regularly harassed. Yet this attack didn’t even merit a mention in the “Christmas Message.”
The Christmas tree at the Holy Redeemer Church in Jenin was set on fire and destroyed. pic.twitter.com/9rf6s0ll79
— Khaled Abu Toameh (@KhaledAbuToameh) December 22, 2025
A message lacking grace—and truth
The message is not just ironic; it’s dangerously dishonest. Christmas exists because of a Jewish Messiah born in a Jewish town to a Jewish mother. To blame “the Jews” for ruining Christmas is to forget that Christmas is, in fact, a gift from the Jews to the world.
Moreover, the statement is disturbingly devoid of any Christian virtue of forgiveness or self-reflection. It offers no call for reconciliation. No acknowledgment of the suffering of Israeli civilians, no condemnation of the Hamas massacre of October 7 that sparked the current war, and certainly no mention of the deep-rooted Islamist persecution of Christians under Palestinian rule.
This selective outrage and moral blindness can be explained by the political realities faced by Arab Christians living under Palestinian Authority control. To remain in favor—or simply to remain safe—one must parrot the official narrative that blames everything on Israel.
But truth, not propaganda, should guide Christian leaders—especially during the season when they celebrate the Prince of Peace.
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