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Persecution, poverty and conflict are driving many
Christians out of the West Bank and Gaza, reports
Release International.
“Because of the economic pressures, many Christian
families when they get the chance, are leaving for a
better life abroad,” Pastor Jack Sara, senior pastor of
the Jerusalem Alliance Church in Old City Jerusalem,
told Release International.
There are no more than 5,000 evangelical Christians
remaining in the West Bank and Gaza, revealed a new
report by Release International, a UK-based organisation
serving the persecuted church around the world.
Remaining Christians face pressure from all sides
including a hostile Muslim culture, continuing tensions
over the disputed territories, the recent offensive on
Gaza, and ongoing economic distress, the ministry
reports.
“We are the forgotten church,” laments one Palestinian
pastor to Release International.
“No,” corrects another pastor, “We are not the forgotten
church; we are the beaten and forgotten church.”
The sense of hopelessness fuels the mass exodus of
evangelical Christians out of the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPT).
According to the European Center for Law and Justice (ECLJ),
Bethlehem and Nazareth have “experienced a dramatic
exodus of Christians in recent years”. The ECLJ also
recognised the “significant difficulties” faced by the
Christian minority in the Holy Land.
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