| THE LIE ➜ Israel persecutes Christians and and is trying to drive them out of the Holy Land. |
| THE TRUTH ➜ Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the Christian population is growing, not shrinking, and where Christians enjoy full legal protection, equal rights, and freedom of worship. |
| BACKGROUND ➜ Israel’s Declaration of Independence (1948) guarantees “freedom of religion, conscience, language, education, and culture” for all citizens. ➜ Christians make up about 1.9% of Israel’s population (around 180,000 people), mainly Arab Christians, Armenians, and Greek Orthodox, concentrated in Nazareth, Haifa, and Jerusalem. ➜ Christianity originated in the Holy Land, where Christians have maintained a continuous presence for nearly 2,000 years. ➜ Across the Middle East, Christian populations have declined sharply over the past century due to persecution and conflict. |
| TRUTH EXPLAINED ➜ The Christian population in Israel grew by 1.4% in 2020, with 84% of Christians satisfied with life in the country (Times of Israel, Dec. 22, 2021). ➜ Arab Christian women have some of the highest university enrollment rates in Israel (Times of Israel, Dec. 22, 2021) ➜ Israel’s Protection of Holy Places Law (1967) guarantees free access to holy sites and punishes vandalism or obstruction with up to five years in prison (gov.il – The Holy Land: Jews, Christians, and Muslims). ➜ The government funds religious services for all faiths and maintains churches, mosques, and synagogues (gov.il – The Holy Land: Jews, Christians, and Muslims). ➜ Thousands of Christian pilgrims freely visit Israel each year for holidays such as the Feast of Tabernacles, often showing public solidarity with the Jewish people (Jerusalem Post, Oct. 8, 2025). ➜ During wartime, Christian delegations and organizations continue to arrive “with no hesitation in standing with Israel” (Jerusalem Post, Oct. 8, 2025). |
| QUOTES ➜ “It will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions.” — Israel’s Declaration of Independence (1948) (Knesset Records) ➜ “According to the CBS, 84% of Christians are satisfied with their life: 24% answered ‘very satisfied’ and 60% were ‘satisfied.’” — Times of Israel (Dec. 22, 2021) ➜ “And stand together and let the world know there are millions of us Christians who will not be silenced in the wake of rising anti-Semitism.” — Mike Huckabee, IFCJ solidarity video (2024) (Facebook) ➜ “Our Christian friends have no qualms about emphatically stating their love and identification with our mission and our plight.” — Jerusalem Post Editorial (Oct. 8, 2025) |
| TAKEAWAY ➜ Far from persecuting Christians, Israel is the only nation in the Middle East where Christianity thrives — protected by law, respected by society, and embraced as an ally of the Jewish people. |
| SOURCES https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-christian-community-is-growing-84-satisfied-with-life-here-report/; https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/generalpage/society-religious-freedom/en/English_SiteTransfer_DOCUMENTS_The-Holy-Land-Jews-Christians-and-Muslims.pdf; https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-869700; https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Bgpoocb84/; https://main.knesset.gov.il/en/about/pages/declaration.aspx |
