Christian communities in the Holy Land have issued a forceful rebuttal to recent characterisations of their protected status, detailing instead what they describe as a sustained campaign of institutional pressure and physical threat that is endangering their ancient presence. This response comes amid ongoing international discussions regarding the protection of religious minorities in the region.

Church officials report a multi-faceted assault on their community, encompassing demographic decline, financial strangulation, and direct physical danger. They cite emigration rates exceeding sixty percent from Jerusalem since 1967, attributing this exodus to systematic discrimination and property laws designed to displace longstanding communities. Furthermore, access to holy sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, is frequently obstructed, while clergy face regular harassment with impunity. The situation in Gaza is cited as particularly dire, with several historic churches and affiliated institutions suffering direct hits during military operations, resulting in numerous casualties.

The demographic collapse of the indigenous Christian community is presented as a central piece of evidence. Once a significant portion of the population, they now constitute a small fraction, a trend church authorities directly link to decades of political and economic pressure. This includes the confiscation of land, the closure of dozens of churches, and the encirclement of towns like Bethlehem by barriers and checkpoints, which they argue suffocates religious and social life. Leaders conclude that the current trajectory, if unchecked by international intervention, threatens to extinguish a two-millennia-old Christian presence in its birthplace.