Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says Jewish “settlers” are taking over Christian homes in Bethlehem. The claim is patently false, especially since there are no Jews living in Bethlehem and Israelis are legally barred from entering the city.
In a February 16, 2026 social media post, Greene accused Israelis of taking Christian homes and persecuting Christians, citing remarks attributed to Bethlehem’s mayor. Christians in Bethlehem do face real and serious persecution. But Greene’s reflex to blame Israel serves to obscure the real culprit: Islamist dominance under the Palestinian Authority.
Bethlehem Is Not Under Israeli Control
Bethlehem is located in Area A, which is under full civil and security control of the Palestinian Authority. Under the Oslo Accords, Israelis are forbidden by law from entering Area A. At the city’s entrances, large red signs warn Israeli citizens that entry is illegal and dangerous.
There is no Israeli administration in Bethlehem. There are no Israeli residents. There are no Jewish “settlers.” The accusation fails at the level of basic geography and law.
Christians Are Leaving—but Not Because of Jews
Greene is right about one thing: Bethlehem’s Christian community is shrinking and under strain. She is wrong about why.
Christians today make up roughly 11 percent of Bethlehem’s population; the rest is Muslim. While the city’s mayor is traditionally Christian, Bethlehem is governed by a Muslim governorate and operates under Sharia Law, as enshrined in the Palestinian Constitution.
This shift accelerated after the Palestinian Authority took control in the 1990s. Yasser Arafat redrew Bethlehem’s municipal boundaries, annexing tens of thousands of Muslims from surrounding areas to ensure a durable Muslim majority. In 1990, Christians made up about 60 percent of the city. Today, they are a small minority.
A Record of Persecution Under PA Rule
Christian Arabs living under Palestinian Authority control report persistent harassment and abuse. Documented incidents include intimidation, physical assaults, land seizures, vandalism and arson attacks on churches, job discrimination, economic boycotts, kidnapping, and extortion. Converts from Islam to Christianity are especially vulnerable and, in some cases, have been killed.
Palestinian Authority officials are frequently accused of ignoring these abuses or being complicit in them.
Reports, including coverage by the Jerusalem Post, describe:
- Mob attacks on churches in the Bethlehem area, with PA security failing to intervene.
- Gunfire directed at Christian-owned businesses with no arrests.
- Violent assaults on Christian landowners near Bethlehem, alongside court efforts to confiscate family property held since the Ottoman era.
- Repeated vandalism, theft, and arson at Christian churches, often accompanied by media silence or gag orders.
In April 2002, Palestinian terrorists seized the Church of the Nativity, holding clergy and nuns hostage. A senior PA-affiliated terrorist later acknowledged the goal was to provoke international pressure on Israel by occupying a major Christian holy site.
Anti-Christian graffiti is not uncommon in Bethlehem and nearby towns, including slogans reading: “First the Saturday people (the Jews), then the Sunday people (the Christians).”
Why Many Christians Don’t Speak Publicly
Many Palestinian Christians stay quiet about the harassment and violence they face because speaking out can bring retaliation. The PA pressures churches and community leaders to suppress reports of abuse, which could damage its carefully cultivated international image and threaten foreign aid.
Christy Anastas, a Palestinian Christian who fled after criticizing the PA’s treatment of Christians, described how Orthodox churches are pressured to align with the PA’s political agenda. Churches that engage in reconciliation, peace projects, or outreach toward Israel are accused of “normalization” and treated as threats. Leaders face intimidation, harassment, and sometimes worse if they resist.
Consider evangelical pastor Johnny Shahwan, who in 2022 was arrested by PA security forces on charges of “promoting normalization” with Israel after taking a selfie with an Israeli politician. He was detained in harsh conditions and only released after significant pressure from Christian and Israeli leaders.
Christians under PA rule are often forced to choose silence over safety. Speaking publicly about abuse, whether it’s vandalism, land theft, or harassment, can put both clergy and congregants at risk, leaving much of the persecution invisible to the outside world.
A Simple Reality Check
Greene’s accusation also fails a basic test of logic. If Israel were persecuting Christians, Christian holy sites under Israeli control would be targets. Instead, sites such as the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Mount of Olives, and the Mount of Beatitudes remain protected, accessible, and heavily visited.
Surveys consistently show that about 84 percent of Christians report being satisfied with life in Israel—an awkward fact for claims that Israel is systematically persecuting Christians.
Conclusion
By blaming Israel for Christian suffering, Marjorie Taylor Greene pretends it’s the one place in the Middle East where Muslims don’t persecute Christians. In reality, the very people driving Christians out are the Islamist authorities she refuses to name.
Her supposed concern isn’t about Christians; it’s about scoring political points by blaming Israel. She turns real persecution into a prop for popular anti-Israel rhetoric, while ignoring the PA forces actually responsible. Bethlehem’s Christians deserve honesty, not someone rewriting history to fit a political agenda.
SOURCES
X, Palestinian Constitution, JCPA, JCFA, Middle East Forum, Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem Post, Mihilard, Christian Persecution Review, Central Bureau of Statistics
