Ramallah: Reverend Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Ramallah and board member of the Palestinian Christian initiative Kairos Palestine, stated that Israeli apartheid policies are the main cause behind the displacement of Palestinian Christians.
According to Palestine news and Information Agency - WAFA, Reverend Isaac explained that land confiscations, the expansion of settlements, and the construction of the separation wall are contributing factors. Israeli practices such as military checkpoints and restrictions on movement have created living conditions that are difficult for Christians, similar to those faced by all Palestinians targeted by displacement.
Isaac responded to claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the Christian presence in Bethlehem, indicating that the occupation has seized most of Bethlehem's lands belonging to Palestinian Christian families. He remarked, "Israel is working to uproot us family by family, just like the rest of the Palestinian people facing forced displacement."
He highlighted that Bethlehem has been isolated from occupied Jerusalem for the first time in its history because of checkpoints and the wall, hindering Christians from accessing the city. Isaac pointed out that it is not new for the Zionist movement to assert it protects Christians, noting that such narratives are widely recognized as propaganda, while churches worldwide increasingly oppose the occupation.
Furthermore, Isaac mentioned that the decline in the percentage of Christians in Bethlehem is linked to internal migration. The city has received residents from nearby towns and villages, largely due to the fragmentation policies enforced by the occupation through checkpoints and iron gates.