Environment
According to a study, the Christian share of Jerusalem’s population has declined from 25% to just 1.56% over the past 100 years.
According to a study, the Christian share of Jerusalem’s population has declined from 25% to just 1.56% over the past 100 years. The Jerusalem International Foundation has warned of policies targeting the Arab Christian presence, church properties and religious practices. According to a study released by the Jerusalem International Foundation, Christians accounted for 25% of the population in occupied Jerusalem in 1922, but their share had fallen to approximately 1.56% by the end of 2023. The study stated that around 15,300 Christians were living in the city at the end of 2023, including approximately 13,100 Palestinians.
It attributed the decline to Israeli policies, economic and social pressures, continued emigration and low population growth. The study also said that Israeli residency policies affecting Palestinians in Jerusalem, including the revocation of residency permits under the “centre of life” criterion, had contributed to reducing the Palestinian presence in the city. The report also documented attempts to seize church endowment properties and other church-owned assets, including through long-term leases and financial pressure. It said such properties account for approximately 28% of endowment land in occupied East Jerusalem.
The report further cited attacks on Christian clergy, monks and worshippers, including physical and verbal assaults, spitting, and damage to property, cemeteries and religious symbols. The study also highlighted Israeli restrictions on access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and limitations on participation in religious ceremonies, including Holy Saturday and Easter celebrations. It warned that such policies were threatening Jerusalem’s Arab and pluralistic character and called for stronger legal and diplomatic efforts to protect Christian holy sites, church properties and the Palestinian Christian presence.
These developments have taken place amid broader Israeli military operations and violence by illegal Jewish settlers across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October 2023. According to Palestinian figures, during this period more than 1,220 Palestinians have been killed, approximately 13,350 injured and more than 26,000 arrested.
