A Christian Crisis in Gaza and the West Bank

War on Christianity in the Middle East is mostly Islamic driven

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In the Gaza Strip, the Christian population has plummeted from about 3,000 a decade ago to an estimated 1,000 today, most of them Greek Orthodox

By JPOST EDITORIAL 

Palestinians light Christmas tree in Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, November 30, 2019 (photo credit: REUTERS/MUSSA QAWASMA)

As Christians celebrate Christmas around the world, it’s worthwhile to focus on the Christian population in the region.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there are some 177,000 Christians in Israel, a growth of 1.5% from last year. More than three-quarters (77.5%) of Christians living in Israel are Arabs, representing 7.2% of all Arab Israeli citizens, the CBS said. The majority of non-Arab Christians living in Israel immigrated together with Jewish family members under the Law of Return.

Contrast these data with the figures in a report published by then-British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt in July. The report found that the number of Christians in the Middle East has dwindled from 20% of the population a century ago to just 5% – most notably in the Palestinian territories, where they have dropped to below 1.5%.

“We’ve all been asleep on the watch when it comes to

the persecution of Christians,”  Hunt said.

The organization Open Doors put “the Palestinian Territories” in 49th place – out of 50 – on its World Watch List, an annual report on the global persecution of Christians. The report cited “Islamic oppression” as the main source of persecution, adding that “Islamic extremist militants are also present in the West Bank, causing Christians to fear being attacked,” and that the persecution is particularly brutal for converts to Christianity.

At least three incidents have affected Christians living under Palestinian Authority rule this year, according to a report by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies: A mob targeted the Christian village of Jifna near Ramallah, causing significant property damage and terrifying its residents, and a Maronite church in Bethlehem and an Anglican church near Ramallah were vandalized.

“Though the Christians in the PA avoid saying so publicly, many of them fear – with good reason – that Muslim aggression against them will only escalate,” wrote Edy Cohen, a researcher at the center. “Such fears are all the stronger in light of the thunderous silence of the Western [and Israeli] media, in the face of the Christian minority’s ongoing disappearance from the PA and Islamic lands in general.”

He added, pointedly, that “the ongoing international neglect of the plight of the Christians under PA rule can only lead to the vanishing of Christianity from the place where it emerged.”

In the Gaza Strip, the Christian population has plummeted from about 3,000 a decade ago to an estimated 1,000 today, most of them Greek Orthodox.

On Sunday, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) reversed a decision made earlier this month, making the welcome announcement that in accordance with “security orders,” Gaza Christians would be allowed to travel to the holy cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and elsewhere in Judea and Samaria, for Christmas.

The situation of Christians in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, has deteriorated dramatically in the last century, and especially since the PA took control of the city in 1995. In 1947, Christians comprised about 85% of the city’s population, but that figure had plunged to 16% by 2016, and is estimated since then.

Bethlehem’s mayor at the time said that, “Due to the stress – either physical or psychological – and the bad economic situation, many people are emigrating: either Christians or Muslims, but it is more apparent among Christians because they already are a minority.”

A study by the Pew Research Center found that the decline in the Arab Christian population was both a result of a lower birth rate among Christians compared to Muslims and the fact that Christians were more likely to emigrate than any other religious group. A statistical analysis of the Christian exodus cited a lack of economic and educational opportunities among a community known for its middle-class status and higher education.

Christianity is the world’s largest religion, with an estimated 2.4 billion adherents (almost a third of the world’s 7.8 billion people). While it may seem ironic that the only place in the Middle East where Christians are thriving is the Jewish state, it is also a cause for concern. 

We wish our Christian readers a happy Christmas – and pray along with them for those undergoing persecution for practicing their faith.

50 Terrorists Arrested as Massive Palestinian Terror Cell Uncovered in the West Bank

Israeli security forces uncover massive PFLP terror cell in Ramallah area, arrest dozens of terrorists involved in string of terror attacks

Arutz Sheva Staff,

Israeli security forces operating in Samaria have uncovered a massive terrorist cell responsible for a string of terror attacks in the area, the Shin Bet internal security agency revealed Wednesday morning.

Some 50 terrorists linked to a cell operated by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have been arrested in the Ramallah area of Samaria, the Shin Bet said.

The PFLP terror cell was discovered during operations carried out by the Shin Bet, IDF, and Israel Police.

The terror cell’s members include the three terrorists responsible for the August bombing attack near Dolev, in western Samaria, which killed 17-year-old Rina Shnerb and injured her father and brother.

Investigators also found that the terror cell was involved in the two shooting attacks near Beit El, north of Jerusalem, a year and a half ago.

Security officials say the terror cell was planning major attacks, set to be carried out in the near future.

The three terrorists from the cell who carried out the August 2019 bombing attack that killed Rina Shnerb include:

Forty-four-year-old Samer Arbid of Ramallah, who was arrested in September for the attack and has been arrested four times in the past for his terrorist activities. Arbid organized the terror cell and was responsible both for constructing and detonating the bomb which killed Shnerb.

Yazan Hussein Hassani Magmas, 24, a resident of Bir Zeit near Ramallah, who was involved in not only the August 2019 bombing attack but also a number of other terror attacks.

Twenty-four-year-old Kassam Al Karim Ragah Shabli of Kobar, near Ramallah. Likue Magmas, he was involved in other terror attacks prior to the August bombing.

During the Shin Bet internal security agency’s interrogation of the three terrorists involved in the bombing attack, information was obtained leading to the discovery of various hidden weapons linked to the PFLP cell, including an M-16 assault rifle, an AK-47 assault rifle, a Galil assault rifle, a carbine rifle, a mini-uzi-style submachine gun, a number of pistols, a silencer, material used for the assembly of bombs, remote detonators, telescopic rifle sights, and large quantities of ammunition.

Many of the weapons were found during a joint IDF, Israel Police raid of the home of one of Arbid’s relatives.

Israel is the Legal Occupant of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, Rules the Court of Appeal of Versailles

A groundbreaking ruling that was “forgotten” by the media is now surfacing. Israel’s just presence in Judea and Samaria is coming to light. 

This groundbreaking ruling by a French court was given in 2013, but somehow escaped the media’s awareness.

A pro Israel activist has worked to bring this “old news” to light, because of its outmost significance.

“I decided to put to work my years of Law Studies in France, and I meticulously analyzed the Court ruling,” Jean-Patrick Grumberg wrote.

The following is an analysis of the dramatic court proceedings and their significance:

In a historical trial, the 3rd Chamber of the Court of Appeal of Versailles declared in 2013 that Israel is the legal occupant of Judea and Samaria.

The Court of Appeal of Versailles ruled that Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria is unequivocally legal under international law, dismissing a suit brought by the Palestinian Authority (PA) against Jerusalem’s light rail built by French companies Alstom and Veolia

To rule on the suit, the Court of Appeals had to determine the legal rights of Palestinians and Israelis in the region. Their conclusion was that the Palestinians have no right – in the international legal sense – to the region, unlike Israel, who is legitimately entitled to all land beyond the 67 line.

The story goes back to the ’90s, when Israel began work for the construction of the Jerusalem light rail. The tender was won by French companies Veolia and Alstom. The light rail was completed in 2011, and it crosses Jerusalem all the way through the city.

Following this, the PLO filed a complaint with the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Versailles France, against Alstom and Veolia, because according to PLO, the construction of the tram was illegal since the United Nations (UN0, the European Union (EU) and other governments consider Israel’s presence there illegal.

In order to rule whether the light rail’s construction was legal or not, the court had to review the texts of international law and examine international treaties in order to establish the respective legal rights of the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Unprecedented Ruling

This is the first time since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 that an independent, non-Israeli court has been called upon to examine the legal status of Judea and Samaria under international law, beyond the political claims of the parties.

While the Court’s findings have no effect in international law, they do have the utmost importance, which is to clarify the legal reality.

The Versailles Court of Appeal’s conclusions are resounding: Israel has real rights in Judea and Samaria, its decision to build a light rail in Jerusalem or anything else in the area is legal, and the judges rejected all the arguments presented by the Palestinians.

The PLO claimed that Israel’s presence in the area was illegal according to international treaties and that that the light rail construction has resulted in the destruction of Palestinian buildings and houses, and has conducted many illegal dispossessions. Therefore, several clauses from the annexed Regulations to the October 18, 1907 Fourth Hague Convention were violated.

The Court of Appeal rejected all the Palestinian arguments.

Referring to the texts on which the PLO claim is based, the Court of Appeal considers that Israel is entitled to ensure order and public life in the region, and therefore Israel has the right to build a light rail, infrastructure and dwellings.

The Court explained that the PA misinterpreted the texts and they do not apply to Israel presence in Judea and Samaria.

All the international instruments put forward by the PLO were acts signed between states, and the obligations or prohibitions contained therein are relevant to states. Neither the PA nor the PLO are states, and therefore, none of these legal documents apply to them.

Likewise, the Court showed that these texts are binding only on those who signed them, namely the contracting parties. Neither the PLO nor the PA have ever signed these texts.

The Court, quite irritated by the arguments presented by the PA, boldly asserted that the law cannot be based solely on the PLO’s assessment of a political or social situation.

The Court of Appeal therefore sentenced the PLO and Association France Palestine Solidarité (AFPS), who was co-appellant, to pay 30,000 euros ($32,000) to Alstom, 30,000 euros to Alstom Transport and 30,000 euros to Veolia Transport.

Neither the PLO nor the Palestinian Authority nor the AFPS appealed to the Supreme Court, and therefore the judgment became final.

This is the first time that a Court has legally destroyed all Palestinian legal claim that Israel’s occupation is illegal.

By: Jean-Patrick Grumberg for www.Dreuz.info

3 Days, 4 Jews Murdered - Palestinians Celebrate

Palestinians are not only hate-filled murderers,

they're downright stupid

Palestinians celebrate the murder of Jewish couple

Throngs of Palestinians took to the streets on Thursday night to celebrate the brutal slaying of an Israeli couple in a shooting attack in the West Bank.

The festivities included the launching of fireworks and the waving of flags in the streets, Ofir Gendelman, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Gendelman posted on Twitter a photo of the scene. Most of the flying banners were of the Palestinian Fatah faction, the armed wing of which claimed responsibility for the attack that killed Eitam and Naama Henkin. Revelers in Nablus, near the site of the shooting, set off fireworks, he said, adding that Palestinians on social media networks were “ecstatic” about the killings.

The Henkins, who were in their early 30s, were shot dead on Thursday night in northern Samaria while travelling in their vehicle near the Palestinian village of Beit Furik. Paramedics found them at the scene with bullet wounds to their torsos. Their four children, who were in the backseat of the car, were unharmed. The couple was buried on Har Hamenuchot in the Givat Shaul neighborhood of Jerusalem on Friday morning.

Young couple, murdered by Palestinians, leave four children orphans 

Leading members of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party, Azzam Al-Ahmad and General Sultan Abu Al-Einen, praised the attack, Gendelman said. He added that General Al-Einen, who serves as Abbas’ adviser on NGOs, called for more attacks on Israelis.

Rival Palestinian terror group Hamas also applauded the attack. Spokesman Husam Badran congratulated Palestinians on the killings and referred to the shooting as a “heroic operation.”

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Peter Lerner said on Thursday that the IDF will deploy four battalions in the West Bank to prevent an escalation of violence and to search for the gunmen. He called the incident a “ruthless, heinous barbaric attack.”

15 year old Moshe Malka stabbed by Palestinian

A Palestinian man stabbed an Israeli teen outside Jerusalem’s Old City early Sunday morning, in the second such attack in the past day.

The suspected assailant was reportedly shot dead by Israeli security forces.

The 15-year-old victim, later named as Moshe Malka, was moderately injured and received treated on site by paramedics. He was taken to Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Hospital in stable condition with wounds to the chest and back.

The attack took place near the Old City’s Damascus Gate.

Israeli Police and the body of Palestinian terrorist

The attacker reportedly fled the scene after stabbing the teen. A video posted online appeared to show him several hundred yards from the site of the attack, on the light rail tracks, where he was shot by police officers.

Hamas media identified the suspected stabber as Fadi Aloon, a resident of the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya. In a Facebook post from an account attributed to Aloon he expressed his intent to become a martyr (shahid) and entreated God to forgive for his sins.

Good luck with that!!!

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had just taken off for Israel around the time of the stabbing early Sunday morning, told reporters that Israel would “launch a severe offensive against Palestinian terrorism.”

Palestinians living in Israel have it far, far better than those living in Gaza, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon or anywhere else. But they seem determined to destroy that and make everyone's life miserable.

He was set to travel directly to the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv upon his arrival in Israel on Sunday, and convene a security cabinet meeting to discuss the spike in terrorist attacks.

Sunday’s early morning stabbing came just hours after Nehemia Lavi and Aharon Bennett were killed in a terrorist attack in the Old City on Saturday night, and Benet’s wife and child were injured.

The Palestinian terrorist was identified as Muhanad Shafeq Halabi, 19, from al-Bireh, near Ramallah in the West Bank. He was shot dead by police.

Benet’s wife was in serious condition and their two-year-old baby was lightly wounded. The mother was taken to Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem and is undergoing surgery. The toddler was taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center for treatment where he remains in stable condition.

Just two days earlier on Thursday night, two Israelis were shot dead in their car in the West Bank in a terrorist attack claimed by the Fatah movement’s armed wing.

In response to the attacks, Israel Police limited entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem to Israeli citizens, business owners, residents and tourists for the next two days. Entrance for Muslim worshippers was limited to men over the age of 50, and access was limited the Lion’s Gate, closest to the Temple Mount.

Caroline Glick: Annex Judea and Samaria Now

Journalist and writer Caroline Glick says Israel should respond to America's new policy by applying sovereignty to Judea and Samaria.

By Yoni Kempinski and Elad Benari
Arutz Sheva

Journalist and writer Caroline Glick, author of the book "The Israeli Solution: A One-State Plan for Peace in the Middle East", says Israel should annex Judea and Samaria now, in response to President Barack Obama’s statements that the United States will “re-evaluate” its support for Israel at the United Nations.

Seeing as Obama is planning to change American policy and “force Israel into completely indefensible borders”, Glick told Arutz Sheva, “the time has come for Israel to come out with an alternative policy, and the alternative policy that we have to put out is applying Israeli law and sovereignty to Judea and Samaria”.

“The question couldn’t be more urgent,” said Glick, whose book deals with this very issue and of which a Hebrew edition was recently published.

“The government has got to put forward a new policy regarding the Palestinians,” she continued. “The two states failed, we all know it, [and] we can’t resurrect it because it wasn’t we that made it fail.”

“The world doesn’t like us now,” Glick pointed out when asked about the world’s reaction if Israel does indeed annex Judea and Samaria. “We’re in a situation now where all the things they said will happen to us if we do X, Y, or Z are happening to us now when we’re saying, ‘No, no, no, we’ll support the establishment of a Palestinian state in Israel’s heartland.”

Israel is facing a “mass of hostility from the Western world”, she said and, as such, “we have to put forward something that we can stand behind and push forward in the face of this hostility.”

Not sure I agree with, or even understand her reasoning, but it is certainly an intriguing idea. It is liable to cause a huge uproar at the UN which has recently decided to fly the Palestinian flag - the only flag without a country. It may very well precipitate Obama's abandoning Israel, as I have been predicting for years would happen. As soon as that happens, Israel will be attacked.