Christians in the Holy Land: Who are we today?

We are 13 traditional Churches in the Holy Land: five Orthodox (Greek, Armenian, Copt, Syrian and Ethiopian), six Catholic (R.C. Latin, Greek Catholic, Maronite, Armenian, Syrian, and Chaldean), and two Protestant (Anglican and Lutheran). As Churches, we all have ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the same three countries: Israel, Palestine and Jordan. Moreover, the Latin Patriarchate has jurisdiction over Cyprus.
In the three countries, Israel, Palestine and Jordan, the total number of Christians is about 400,000, half of whom live in Jordan, the other half in Palestine-Israel. Catholics, including R.C. Latins, Greek Catholics, and members of the other Eastern Catholic Churches, number about 170,000.
All these Christians are Arabs, Palestinians or Jordanians. They belong to the Arab culture and history.
Palestinian and Jordanian Christians in Palestine, Jordan and in the diaspora number some 600,000, or 12 % of the total Palestinian and Jordanian population in Palestine, Jordan and in the world.
Besides this basic traditional Arab Christian presence in the Holy Land (Israel, Palestine, and Jordan), there is a Hebrew-speaking presence: Christian Hebrew-speaking communities, both Catholic and Protestant. To that must be added a large Russian presence which came with the successive waves of Jewish immigration to Israel.
According to the various estimates given by Israeli sources, non-Jewish Russians in Israel could be four or five hundred thousand. Non-Jewish means that they are either Christians or they have Christian roots. Varied, but limited, pastoral work is carried out among this population by monasteries in Israel (Trappists, Benedictines, Salesians, Little Brothers and Sisters of Bethlehem of St Bruno), or by a few priests exclusively dedicated to this pastoral service. At the same time, Jewish religious organizations are very active in “judaizing” all of these non-Jewish Russians. Additionally, there is a third presence, this one international, made up of workers and business people. It is approximately as large as the indigenous Christian presence, particularly in Israel and Jordan.

+ Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
Linz, September 29, 2006