Leader: President Mahmoud Abbas
Government: Interim administration
Population: 4.5 million (40,000 Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Persecution Level: Moderate
Source of persecution: Islamic extremism
OVERVIEW OF PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
The number of Christians is diminishing and the influence of radical Islam is growing. Partly as a result of their influence, Hamas takes Islamizing measures from time to time. Dynamics of Christian persecution in the Palestinian Territories are complex. Christians are squeezed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; their ethnicity entailing many restrictions from the Israeli side and their religion putting them in a minority position within the Palestinian community. Of all types of Christianity present in the Palestinian Territories, Christian converts from a Muslim background are persecuted the most, followed by all local Christian background believers (historical Christians and non-traditional Protestants) in Gaza.
PRAYER POINTS
Government: Interim administration
Population: 4.5 million (40,000 Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Persecution Level: Moderate
Source of persecution: Islamic extremism
OVERVIEW OF PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
The number of Christians is diminishing and the influence of radical Islam is growing. Partly as a result of their influence, Hamas takes Islamizing measures from time to time. Dynamics of Christian persecution in the Palestinian Territories are complex. Christians are squeezed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; their ethnicity entailing many restrictions from the Israeli side and their religion putting them in a minority position within the Palestinian community. Of all types of Christianity present in the Palestinian Territories, Christian converts from a Muslim background are persecuted the most, followed by all local Christian background believers (historical Christians and non-traditional Protestants) in Gaza.
PRAYER POINTS
- For the many women in Israeli and Palestinian areas who suffer trauma from violence because of war and persecution because of their gender
- For students at the Bethlehem Bible College preparing for Christian ministry and leadership
- For the church in Gaza, as many are still suffering from the war in 2014