RAMALLAH, December 26, 2025 (WAFA) – The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine condemned the statements issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing them as misleading claims that attempt to distort reality and whitewash Israel’s record of systematic and grave violations against the Palestinian people, particularly Palestinian Christians and their holy sites.
In a statement, the Presidential Committee said that what the Israeli government is trying to promote as "freedom of worship" and "flourishing Christian life" is nothing but false propaganda that completely contradicts documented facts on the ground, testimonies from churches and clergy, and reports from the United Nations and international human rights organizations.
It affirmed that Palestinian Christians, like the rest of the Palestinian people, suffer daily under systematic oppressive policies, including restrictions on freedom of worship and movement through an arbitrary permit system that prevents them from accessing Jerusalem and its churches, especially during holidays.
It cited the suppression of religious rituals and processions, including incidents in Nazareth, as well as assaults on Christian worshippers in Jerusalem’s Old City, describing these as part of an organized policy of intimidation rather than isolated incidents.
The Committee pointed out that occupied Jerusalem, the epicenter of these policies, has witnessed a dangerous escalation in organized attacks by colonists against Christian clergy. These attacks include repeated spitting, threats, physical assaults, and the desecration of religious symbols, all under the protection of the occupation forces and with near-total impunity.
It also said that arbitrary arrests and summonses of Christian clergy and activists continue, in an attempt to silence national church voices, in parallel with the desecration of Christian cemeteries, particularly in Jerusalem, in a blatant violation of the sanctity of the dead and of all human values.
It affirmed that Israeli authorities continue to violate the basic civil rights of Palestinian Christians by denying them family reunification and residency rights under the so-called Citizenship Law, in addition to legal and institutional discrimination within Israel itself against Arab Christians, as well as systematic incitement campaigns and media targeting of churches and clergy, which contribute to fueling hatred and justifying attacks.
The Higher Committee addressed the crime of demolishing the Church of St. Barbara and Israeli authorities' continued refusal to allow its reconstruction, along with the ongoing land confiscations in Khirbet Sam'an and the Makhroura area of Beit Jala, and the systematic policies of geographic and economic strangulation targeting the areas of Beit Sahour, Bethlehem, and Beit Jala.
The committee addressed the ongoing and serious aggression by the occupation in the town of Taybeh, including the repeated burning of Christian citizens' properties, in direct attacks on their security and existence. It also highlighted the targeting of churches in Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of Christian refugees who had sought refuge within these churches during Israel's war of extermination against the Gaza Strip.
The committee further noted that the imposition of unjust taxes and economic pressures on churches and their properties constitutes a blatant violation of the status quo and international agreements. This is accompanied by systematic discrimination in education and services, particularly against Christian schools in Palestinian Arab cities, as part of a systematic policy of repression, restrictions, confiscation, and discrimination practiced by the occupying power.
The Higher Committee emphasized that the painful decline in the number of Palestinian Christians, especially in Bethlehem, is not due to general regional circumstances, as some claim, but rather a direct result of the occupation's policies of land confiscation, house demolitions, economic strangulation, and denial of basic rights. These policies are forcing Palestinians, both Christian and Muslim, into forced displacement, in a clear attempt to empty the land of its original inhabitants.
The Presidential Committee categorically rejected the use of religious holidays and occasions, especially Christmas, as a propaganda platform to justify the occupation and its crimes. It emphasized that there is no true religious freedom under occupation, and that Christmas in Palestine will remain a message of truth, justice, and peace, inseparable from the suffering of our people and their legitimate right to freedom, independence, and an end to the occupation.
The Committee called upon churches and church institutions worldwide, religious leaders, human rights organizations, and all people of conscience not to be misled by these deceptive narratives, but to listen to the voice of the local churches in Palestine and to uphold their moral and legal responsibilities in protecting the Palestinian Christian presence, safeguarding holy sites, and holding the occupying authorities accountable for their ongoing violations.
The Committee stated, "The truth cannot be obscured by statements, and justice is not achieved through speeches, but rather by ending the occupation, holding those responsible for crimes and violations accountable, ensuring the protection of holy sites, and preserving the authentic Christian presence in Palestine."
The Higher Presidential Committee affirmed at the end of its statement that Israel’s continued use of Palestinian Christians as a pretext before the international community, and its attempt to falsely present itself as a “protector of religious minorities,” has become a blatant policy.
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