Ecumenical group refutes Netanyahu’s UN claims, blaming Israeli occupation for Christian exodus from Bethlehem, not Palestinian Authority policies.
Newsroom (29/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent claims attributing the decline of the Christian population in Bethlehem to the Palestinian Authority have been sharply contested by an ecumenical think tank, A Jerusalem Voice for Justice. In a forceful joint statement, the group accuses Netanyahu of distorting historical and current realities to deflect blame from Israel’s occupation policies, which they argue are the primary drivers of Christian and Muslim emigration from the Holy Land.
The statement directly addresses remarks made by Netanyahu during his September 26 address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In his speech, the Israeli leader claimed that Bethlehem’s Christian population plummeted from 80% to under 20% since the Palestinian Authority assumed control of the city. The ecumenical group refutes this, asserting that the demographic shift began much earlier and is rooted in the consequences of Israeli policies.
“Bethlehem was a Christian-majority city until 1948, with over 80% of its population being Christian,” the group’s statement reads. “The 1948 Nakba, which saw the expulsion of approximately 750,000 Palestinian refugees from historic Palestine, led to the establishment of three refugee camps in Bethlehem, altering its demographic composition.” By the time Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, Bethlehem’s population was already predominantly Muslim.
The group argues that decades of Israeli occupation have created “harsh living conditions” that have driven both Christians and Muslims to emigrate. Bethlehem, a city heavily reliant on tourism and pilgrimage, has been particularly hard-hit in recent years. “The past two years of Israel’s war on Gaza have brought tourism to a near standstill,” the statement notes, citing “closures, permits, exclusionary residency rights, and military violence” as key factors pushing residents to leave. “Hundreds have left Bethlehem in recent months due to these policies, not the actions of the Palestinian Authority.”
The ecumenical group emphasizes the unity between Christians and Muslims in Bethlehem, stating, “They continue to live together as one people, sharing the same struggles under occupation.” This counters Netanyahu’s narrative, which the group accuses of being laced with “blatant distortions” and “Islamophobia” while conflating legitimate criticism of Israeli policies with antisemitism.
A Jerusalem Voice for Justice is a recently formed coalition of Christian leaders and theologians responding to escalating violence in the Holy Land. Its members include prominent figures such as Latin Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem Michel Sabbah, Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan, Greek Orthodox Bishop Attallah Hanna, Sabeel Ecumenical Center coordinator Sawsan Bitar, Palestinian theologian John Munayer, Jesuit Father David Neuhaus, Father Frans Bouwen of the Missionaries of Africa, and Father Alessandro Barchi of the Little Family of the Annunciation.
The group’s statement calls for an honest reckoning with the root causes of the Christian exodus, urging global leaders to recognize the impact of occupation on all Palestinians, regardless of faith. As violence and economic hardship persist, the coalition vows to continue advocating for justice and truth in the land of Jesus.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Agenzia Fides
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