Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine: Israeli Occupation Authorities Waging a Systematic Campaign to Eradicate Christian Presence in the Holy Land
The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine: Israeli Occupation Authorities are Waging a Systematic Campaign to Eradicate Christian Presence in the Holy Land
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The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine has sounded the alarm over an unprecedented and dangerous assault against the churches of the Holy Land by Israeli occupation authorities, led by a direct attack on the Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem. The Committee warns that these actions are part of a deliberate and systematic Israeli policy aimed at dismantling the authentic Christian presence in Palestine, stripping the land of its historic religious institutions, and reshaping the religious and cultural identity of the Holy City in order to erase its Palestinian heritage and character.
It is in this context that Dr Ramzi Khouri, Head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine and Member of the PLO Executive Committee, sent the following Letter appealing to all churches, Christian institutions, and people of conscience worldwide to stand united in the face of these grave injustices and take action to stop them:
Your Beatitudes and Eminences,
The churches of Palestine are facing an unprecedented and dangerous assault that threatens their very existence and their historic mission in the Holy Land. The Israeli occupation authorities have frozen the bank accounts of the Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem and imposed crippling, unjust taxes on its properties. These are not mere administrative measures — they are part of a calculated, systematic campaign to weaken the Church, cripple its ability to serve its faithful, and erode its spiritual, humanitarian, and community role in the birthplace of Christianity. This is a direct and blatant violation of the historic Status Quo, international law, and established agreements.
The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine warns that this is a deliberate policy aimed at dismantling the authentic Christian presence in Palestine, stripping the land of its religious institutions, and reshaping the identity of the Holy City. These actions cannot be divorced from the broader colonial strategies of Israel, which seek to erase the city’s religious and cultural heritage and extinguish its Palestinian character.
The attack goes beyond the freezing of bank accounts. Lands belonging to the Orthodox Church around the Monastery of Saint Gerasimus near Jericho (Deir Hajla) are being targeted through aggressive settlement expansion. In the past two years, new illegal outposts have been constructed in the Jericho area, threatening the historic and religious character of the region. These acts are part of a wider, systematic policy to diminish the Christian presence and obliterate its historic and religious landmarks.
We speak to you today not simply out of concern, but with an urgent and unequivocal call to action. We appeal to all churches, Christian institutions, and people of conscience worldwide to stand united in the face of these grave injustices. Political, legal, and media mobilization is urgently required to halt these violations, defend the sanctity of the Church, and safeguard its freedom to carry out its spiritual and humanitarian mission.
Silence at this moment will be interpreted as complicity - a green light for the continuation and escalation of these oppressive policies. The defense of the churches in Palestine is not only a moral and spiritual obligation; it is a historic trust and a collective responsibility. This moment demands a unified stance and a resolute voice that rejects all assaults on our holy places, our Church properties, and the resources that sustain its mission.
These attacks come amid ongoing war, genocide, and starvation in the Gaza Strip - now in its 670th day - and continued ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. Just recently, the extremist Finance Minister of the Israeli occupation government, Bezalel Smotrich, announced his approval for thousands of new settlement units in the so- called “E1” area east of Jerusalem. This plan would destroy the possibility of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state, shatter the geographic and demographic unity of our land, and further entrench the fragmentation of the West Bank into isolated enclaves.
The time to act is now. We urge you to raise your voices, to act, and to stand on the right side of history — for the sake of justice.
With utmost respect and determination,
Dr. Ramzi Khouri
Member of the PLO Executive Committee
Head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine