The Churches in Israel / Palestinian Territories

There are today around 114,000 Christians in Israel proper and another 51,000 in the occupied Palestinian territories. Altogether, Christians constitute just over 2.4 per cent of the population of the Holy Land, down from 8% in 1948. The largest number of Palestinian Christians are Orthodox, dividing into either Oriental Orthodox or Eastern Orthodox. The separation of the two Orthodox families arose out a disagreement in the fifth century over how to define the human and divine natures of Christ. The Orthodox tradition uses icons, incense, ceremonial and meditative prayer.

The Greek Orthodox Church is the largest faith community in the Holy Land with about 60,000 members. Dating back to the Apostle James who was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, there are many Greek Orthodox churches in existence today.

There is a significant Ethiopian Orthodox Christian presence in Jerusalem, including two chapels in the Holy Sepulchre itself with its community of monks. There are around 2,000 Ethiopian Christians in the Holy Land.

There are now around 2,000 Coptic Orthodox Christians in the Holy Land, many originally from Egypt. They take pride in their country's place in the Bible.

There are about 2,000 members of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem.

There are currently around 6,000 Syrian Orthodox Christians in the Holy Land, most of them in the Bethlehem area.

The Roman Catholics, known in the Holy Land as Latins, are the largest group of Catholics in the city of Jerusalem with around 5,000 members.

There are 53,000 Greek Catholics (Melkite) in the Holy Land, but mainly in the Galilee region, making them overall the second largest Church after the Greek Orthodox. The Melkite Church is in communion with Rome but follows most of the Eastern Orthodox practices. Father Elias Chacour, the well-known priest and peace-maker from Ibillin and founder of the Mar Elias High School and College, is from the Melkite tradition.

There is a small Anglican presence. St George's Cathedral in Jerusalem serves both an Arab and an expatriate congregation who work closely together; the Rt Revd Riah Abu el Assal is the Palestinian Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem.

The Scottish Presbyterian Church meets at St Andrews, just outside the city walls of Jerusalem; they sponsor the Sunbula shop purchasing high quality handicrafts from the Palestinian villages for sale to the tourist market.

There are a number of other Protestant small communities, mainly with roots in other countries.

(Information from "Living Stones Pilgrimage" by Alison Hilliard and Betty Jane Bailey, Cassell, 1999).

Christians under pressure

Just as those original followers of Jesus found themselves in a minority going against the grain of the established order and threatened with extinction, the same may be said of Christians living in Palestinian Territories today. Since the 1930s, before the creation of the state of Israel, the Christian population of Palestinian Territories has fallen from 35% to 15%. Many have since left the country because of the conflict with Israel and because of discriminatory Israeli laws which cramp freedom of movement and opportunity. It is estimated that some 55% of all Palestinian Christians now live out of their country.

Afif Safieh: "I am a Palestinian Christian; maybe a descendant of the first Christians. The western perception is that we Christian Palestinians either do not exist or have been recently converted. But we are historical Christians; and we live in dire conditions. In global terms Christians are 13% of Palestinians but in Palestinian Territories itself only 2%." (REFORM October 99, quoting his speech to General Assembly)

Those that remain, though small in number, are leaven in the bread, speaking out against the continuing occupation of their land and actively campaigning for human rights. The intifada (1988-91) saw a rapid growth in church-based initiatives and non-governmental organisations providing medical, relief and rehabilitation services to those affected by the conflict in addition to their already existing education, health and other social and community development programmes.

Sabeel 'The Way'

There has been a need for Christians to seek God in their suffering and clarify a theology through biblical reflection and understanding in the light of their context. Following an international conference on liberation theology in 1990, Sabeel was formed as an ecumenical centre seeking to make the Gospel contextually relevant in Palestinian Territories today. Based in Jerusalem and led by Canon Naim Ateek, it aims to strengthen the faith of Palestinian Christians and encourage them to act for justice and love. Sabeel is committed to a prophetic ministry in solidarity with the oppressed and strives to develop a spirituality based on justice, peace, non-violence, liberation and reconciliation. Sabeel is Arabic for 'The Way' and also 'Spring of Water'.

Music in the churches

The geographical location of Palestinian Territories, as well as its history, has given birth to a musical melting-pot of traditional Arabic and western compositional styles. Arabic instruments such as the maqam (scales), the oud and the tabla, are used as well as western styles. Christian texts may sometimes be sung to traditional Arabic tuns with oud accompaniment. There is a growing breadth of musical expression in many churches. In the Catholic and Protestant denominations use is made of the organ and western hymnody in addition to new local compositions (such as Nasibi) which may be sung with guitar. Christian texts may also be sung to traditional Arabic tunes with oud accompaniment. Explicit liberation theology songs are still few in Palestinian Territories, one example being A Song of Liberation. Meanwhile, the Orthodox churches retain the broad and unaccompanied Byzantine declamations which have been passed down through the centuries.

Reading: Isaiah 32: 15-20
Discussion pointers

• What is your own experience of 'wilderness'? How does/did this make you feel?
• How would you define 'justice' and 'integrity'?
• How do you try to get 'lasting security'?
• What does your home mean to you?
• Who do you know who has lost their home? What action can you take to alleviate their situation and restore justice?

Prayer

The songs

(source: Mishwar: a musical pilgrimage through Palestinian Territories from Counterpoint, and International Centre of Bethlehem, 1999)

My Portion (Nasibi)

This is one of the new style of composition to be found in Palestinian churches today. Although clearly influenced by western music, its structure, melodic shape and harmony are indisputably from Palestinian Territories. It emphasises the centrality of God in life and in doing so expresses a hope which has not been extinguished despite continuing difficulties.

A Song of Liberation

Rima Nasir Tarazi is a prolific composer from Ramallah, West Bank and President of the General Union of Palestinian Women in Palestinian Territories and former President of the Palestinian YWCA. She has become well-known both locally and internationally for her songs, which evocatively document the violence against the Palestinian people and express their deepest longings and determination for justice and peace. She writes in a western style and her songs are usually accompanied by piano. A Song of Liberation was a theme song at Sabeel's international conference in 1997.

Thanks to Maggie Hamilton of Counterpoint for her work on the CforL pages about the churches.