The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem claimed recent events by local officials that “damaging ideologies, such as Christian Zionism,” “mislead the public, cause confusion, and harm the unity of our flock.”
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The church leaders accused these efforts of pushing an agenda that might harm the Christian presence in the Holy Land as well as the Middle East as a whole, warning that “certain political actors in Israel and beyond have found support for them.”
Palestinian Christians are beginning to worry that Israel’s policies, including land confiscation, illegal settlement expansion, and pressure on church property, are worsening than the oldest Christian communities in the world.
Church leaders in Jerusalem are becoming increasingly concerned about how a powerful strand of evangelical Christianity in the United States continues to influence Israel’s political and financial support.
The “prosperity gospel,” which states that blessing Israel brings both personal and financial rewards, is also popular among Christian Zionists.
Critics claim that these beliefs are used to fund Israel’s settlement effort, which continues to undermine its position while marginalizing Palestinian Christians and undermining its historic churches.
The patriarchs claimed they were “deeply concerned” that those who support these agendas have been “welcomed at official levels both locally and internationally,” calling their engagement an intrusion into the churches’ internal operations.
According to the statement, “These actions interfere with the churches’ internal affairs,” accusing outsiders of disobeying Jerusalem’s historic Christian leadership’s authority and responsibility.
Threats to the existence of Christians
Although it’s unclear what recent events the statement is referring to, a recent report from the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem found that “continued concerns that threaten the existence of the community and the churches are the causes of ongoing issues, particularly in Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank, and Gaza,” in addition to issues of unjustified taxation.
Additionally, the report stated that “settlersetter attacks increasingly target our churches, people, and properties. Christian communities and our places of worship extend throughout the West Bank.”
A senior Palestinian church body on Wednesday warned that Christian education is directly under attack because of Israeli restrictions that prevent teachers from entering schools in occupied East Jerusalem.
According to the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, Israeli authorities have severely stifled West Bank teachers’ employment opportunities, causing disruption to classes and denying hundreds of students’ education rights.
The committee criticized the Israeli occupation’s arbitrary and systematic measures, claiming they have affected Palestinian schools throughout Jerusalem, particularly those that are impacted by Christian institutions. The second semester’s start has been delayed and the process has been paralyzed, according to the article.
The committee claims that Israel’s permit laws and military checkpoints are its primary means of preventing teachers from entering classrooms, restricting their movement, and weakened educational institutions. These behaviors, according to it, constitute collective punishment and are a result of international law’s prohibition of racial discrimination.
According to church officials, Israeli authorities have severely curbed dozens of teachers’ permits while reducing the days they can work. At least 171 teachers and staff members were reportedly affected.
The committee made the warning that the Israeli government’s plan to target Christian schools is intended to undermine Palestinian education and reduce Jerusalem’s presence as a Palestinian.
Source: Aljazeera
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