Israel: Where Christianity Thrives in the Middle East

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.