Jerusalem: The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine has reached out to church leaders around the world, highlighting the increasing risks to the enduring Palestinian Christian presence in the Holy Land due to ongoing Israeli settlement expansion, land confiscation, and restrictions on development.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the committee emphasized that these policies undermine the resilience and survival of Palestinian families, including Christians, and endanger the preservation of a historical Christian presence that has existed for two millennia. This threat has become more pronounced following the declassification of a decision by the Israeli Security Cabinet to establish 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, six of which are in the Bethlehem Governorate.
The Israeli decision, which also includes the allocation of over 2.3 billion shekels to accelerate the settlement project, aims to relocate settlers and build essential infrastructure to cement this unauthorized reality. The committee underscored that this represents an advanced phase of a systematic policy designed to enforce permanent conditions on the occupied Palestinian territory.
The committee pointed out that the settlement plans in the Bethlehem Governorate, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, seek to expand and integrate settlement blocs, thereby isolating Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour from their Palestinian surroundings and seizing land, including agricultural plots owned by Palestinian Christian families.
Additionally, the committee highlighted that the colonial initiative extends beyond urban expansion, attempting to redefine the geographic and demographic landscape of the occupied Palestinian territory by linking settlements through road and service networks. This is a blatant breach of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, contradicting the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in 2024.
The committee called on global churches to fulfill their spiritual, historical, and moral duties by taking a firm and responsible stance against settlement expansion, annexation policies, and the imposition of irreversible conditions. It urged churches worldwide to uphold international law, protect the Holy Land and the genuine Palestinian Christian presence, and strive for a just peace that ensures freedom, dignity, and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.