Israeli violence threatens Christians’ future in Jerusalem, report warns

Israeli violence threatens Christians’ future in Jerusalem, report warns Peter Oborne on Thu, 04/02/2026 - 11:20 Clergy and worshippers subjected to ‘intimidation and aggression’ as holy sites in Old City remain shut for Easter A Palm Sunday procession leaves the Catholic Franciscan Monastery of Saint Saviour in the Old City of Jerusalem on 29 March 2026 (John Wessels/AFP) Off Harassment and violence against Christians call into question their long-term presence in Palestine and Israel, a respected Jerusalem think tank has warned. In a shocking report, the Rossing Center, which aims to foster Jewish-Christian relations, records a “continued and expanding pattern of intimidation and aggression” against Christians in occupied East Jerusalem, including the Old City, and Israel. It finds they are targeted not just as Christians but also – in the case of Palestinian Christians – as a national minority. The report blames Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government for what it calls “the recent surge in overt animosity towards Christianity”. In a carefully worded intervention, the Rossing Center writes that a “renewed sense of Jewish identity finds its most extreme manifestation in right-wing ultranationalism, which has become a significant factor in Israeli society. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “This trend has been particularly evident among members of the current government and has been further intensified by the collective trauma experienced since October 7th 2023.” The report does not mention Itamar Ben Gvir by name. But these comments will be widely interpreted as a direct reproach to Ben Gvir, who as security minister has responsibility for policing in Israel and occupied Palestinian territories including Jerusalem’s Old City. In October 2023, following an upsurge in reported incidents of spitting aimed at Christians and Christian holy sites, Ben Gvir defended the practice as an “old Jewish tradition” which did not amount to criminal behaviour. Early last month, he opened the way for a massive expansion of firearms licences. According to the Times of Israel, more than 300,000 Jewish residents of Jerusalem are now eligible to carry a gun. Christians on Wednesday privately told Middle East Eye that they regard the widely touted prospect of a Ben Gvir premiership as dangerous for Christians and a calamity for Christianity in the Holy Land. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Rossing Center report documented 155 incidents of harassment in 2025, but warns its figures represent no more than “the tip of the iceberg”. Clergy harassed The majority of the cases involve physical attacks, with clergy (monks, friars, nuns and priests) most likely to be targeted because of their “distinctive garments and visible Christian symbols”. The interfaith think tank reports that “Clergy in areas such as Mount Zion and the Armenian Quarter report that harassment has become so routine that stepping outside can carry an almost certain risk of abuse”. In a chilling finding it reports that these attacks are unlikely to be prosecuted. 'Harassment has become so routine that stepping outside can carry an almost certain risk of abuse' – Rossing Center report The Rossing Center said it had aided victims in making complaints to the police. “Most of the complaints were closed, some remain under investigation, and the rate of indictments is very low in relation to the scale of the phenomenon,” it said. It also noted that “there is no police officer specifically designated to liaise with the Christian community in Israel”. This religious persecution, it said, had reinforced among Christians "the perception that they are viewed not as an integral part of the land’s social fabric but as outsiders and, at times, unwanted guests". The Rossing Center has documented 59 attacks on church property, including graffiti, vandalism of religious statues, arson, garbage dumping and spitting at holy places. Such attacks, it said, “feed a sense of vulnerability around sacred spaces and reinforces concern over the erosion of respect for Christian religious life in the public sphere". It also documented 18 recorded incidents of defacement of public signs. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The attacks, it said, “are humiliating and exhausting, producing a climate in which Christians feel increasingly unwelcome, pressured to conceal their identity, and uncertain about the future of their communities”. In a powerful conclusion, the report finds that “Christian communities have been proudly rooted in the Holy Land for two thousand years. However, in recent years they have increasingly expressed serious concerns regarding the combination of forces that could drive younger generations away.” The report highlighted its 2024 survey, which it said showed approximately half of all Christians under 45 were considering leaving the region. The report was published after Israeli police blocked Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, patriarch of the Latin church, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate the Palm Sunday mass. Jerusalem's Christians urge church leaders to challenge harsh Israeli restrictions Read More » Pizzaballa’s office said in a statement it had been the first time in centuries that the patriarch had been unable to celebrate the mass marking the start of Easter week in the church, which Christians believe is built on the site where Jesus was crucified, and later buried and resurrected. The Israeli security presence has been ubiquitous in the Old City throughout Easter week. An Israeli policeman stood guard outside the locked door of Holy Sepulchre to deter visitors from approaching. A permanent security post called the “Israeli Police Division of the Holy Sepulchre Church” stands beside the door of the outer courtyard, with an Israeli flag flying beside it. Worshippers have told MEE that armed Israeli police are in the habit of entering the ancient church intrusively, including the tomb of Christ itself. They said Palestinian worshippers feel intimidated by their presence. MEE put these claims to the Israeli police, but no reply had been received at the time of publication. The International Court of Justice ruled in July 2024 that Israel’s security presence in occupied East Jerusalem is illegal, and ordered Israel to end its occupation. Israel defiantly insists that Jerusalem is its capital. Moreover, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that Israel is the “guardian of Christianity” in the Middle East. That is very different from the picture which emerges from the devastating Rossing Center report, published in Christianity’s most sacred city in the holiest week of the Christian year. Occupation Jerusalem News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0