|
Trending Topics
|
Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19239/bethlehem-christianity-death
The Death of Christianity in Bethlehem
(Gatestone Institute) Raymond Ibrahim - In January, a large group of masked men carrying sticks and iron bars attacked Christian brothers Daoud and Daher Nassar on their farm near Bethlehem. The Palestinian courts have been working to confiscate the farm that has been owned by the family since the Ottoman Empire. In April, Palestinian evangelical pastor Johnny Shahwan was arrested by Palestinian Authority security forces on charges of "promoting normalization" with Israel. According to Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, Director of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation, "Christians have been under attack in Bethlehem for many, many years. There have been bombings. There are near-constant physical attacks against Christians. They're going on a regular basis, ever since the Palestinian Authority took over." Kamal Tarazi, a Christian man who fled from Hamas-controlled Gaza in 2007, said, "The moment they [Hamas] took control, they started persecuting us, ruining our churches and forcing Christians to convert to Islam." "The attacks by Muslims on Christians are often ignored by the international community and media, who seem to speak out only when they can find a way to blame Israel," wrote Muslim journalist Khaled Abu Toameh. "Another disturbing situation is that the leaders of the Christian community in the West Bank are reluctant to hold the Palestinian Authority and their Muslim neighbors responsible for the attacks. They are afraid of retribution and prefer to toe the official line of holding Israel solely responsible for the misery of the Christian minority."