Tuesday, July 15, 2025

ARE CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED IN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES? A TRUTHFUL AND BALANCED ANALYSIS By Josimar Salum

 

               *A portrait by AI: Town of Taybeh (Ephraim)

ARE CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED IN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES? A TRUTHFUL AND BALANCED ANALYSIS


By Josimar Salum 

July 15, 2025


The condition of Christians in the Holy Land—specifically in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza—is a complex and often misunderstood subject. Accusations of persecution, discrimination, or neglect are frequently made from various ideological standpoints. But what do the facts say? Are Christians persecuted in Israel? What about in the Palestinian Territories? And how do these conditions compare?


This article aims to offer an honest, well-documented, and biblically-informed overview of the status of Christians living in the land that bears the spiritual heritage of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alike.


Biblical and Historical Context


From a biblical perspective, the land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people by divine covenant:


“I will give to you and your descendants after you the land… as an everlasting possession.” — Genesis 17:8


For believers who accept the authority of Scripture, Israel is not an occupying power—it is the rightful heir to the land promised by God. This fundamental truth is not always acknowledged in international law or politics, which use the term “occupation” for post-1967 territories. But for many Christians, that term is a misrepresentation of God’s covenantal promises.


Christians in Israel: Legal Rights and Religious Freedom


Christians living within the recognized borders of the State of Israel—in cities like Nazareth, Haifa, Jerusalem, and Jaffa—enjoy full legal rights and freedom of religion. The law guarantees their right to worship, gather, evangelize (with some limitations in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods), and operate schools and churches without restriction.


Many Christians in Israel are citizens with equal civil rights, and some serve in public roles as judges, parliamentarians, lawyers, professors, and even IDF officers. Public celebrations of Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter are common in cities with large Christian populations, and Israel protects access to major holy sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Mount of Beatitudes, and others.


While state-sponsored persecution does not exist, Christians sometimes experience social discrimination, especially from radical fringe groups. Isolated acts of vandalism, verbal abuse, and disrespect toward clergy or Christian symbols have been reported—particularly in Jerusalem—by extremist elements in the ultra-Orthodox community. These acts, though serious, are consistently condemned by Israeli officials, and while enforcement can sometimes be inconsistent, the State of Israel defends the legal rights of its Christian citizens.


Christians in the Palestinian Territories: West Bank and Gaza


The situation for Christians in the Palestinian-administered territories—particularly under Hamas in Gaza—is markedly different.


In Gaza: Clear and Documented Persecution


Gaza, ruled by Hamas since 2007, has become increasingly hostile to the small Christian community that once lived there. The Christian population has plummeted from around 3,000 to fewer than 1,000, primarily due to persecution and fear. Christians have been subjected to harassment, threats, forced conversions, property destruction, and even murder. One widely reported case was the 2007 assassination of Rami Ayyad, a Christian bookstore manager, by Islamic extremists.


Under Hamas, religious freedom for Christians is practically nonexistent. Evangelism is dangerous, Christian education is heavily restricted, and public Christian celebrations like Christmas are discouraged or suppressed. Christians who remain in Gaza live under constant pressure and often in silence.


In the West Bank: Social Pressure, External Threats, and Legal Vulnerability


In contrast to Gaza, the West Bank (administered by the Palestinian Authority) presents a more nuanced and layered reality. There is no formal law outlawing Christianity, but Christians still face social and institutional pressures in majority-Muslim communities. While there are towns like Taybeh—also known biblically as Ephraim—where Christians form the majority and maintain strong traditions, Christian minorities in other areas often report land theft, discrimination, and harassment.


A particularly violent incident occurred in 2005, when a Muslim mob attacked and burned Christian homes in Taybeh following a rumor of an interfaith relationship. Though the PA condemned the violence, justice was slow, and Christian leaders have repeatedly called for stronger protections.


More recently, on July 7, 2025, the Christian town of Taybeh was again the target of violence—this time by radical Jewish settlers, who set fire near the ancient Church of St. George and its adjacent cemetery, causing widespread alarm in the community. The Israeli government condemned the attack publicly. However, critics pointed out that no concrete protective measures were taken, and no arrests were made. While Taybeh lies in Area B, under Palestinian civil administration, Christian leaders emphasized that Israel controls the surrounding security environment and urged Israeli authorities to prevent such acts of aggression in the future.


In addition to these social and security threats, Christians in the West Bank are affected by Israeli-imposed security restrictions, including checkpoints, border controls, and a complex permit system. These are tied to legitimate national security concerns but nonetheless hinder Christian mobility, economic stability, and access to Jerusalem’s holy sites.


Furthermore, economic hardship and political instability have fueled a steady emigration trend. Many West Bank Christians—often educated and internationally connected—have emigrated to the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and Europe in search of safety, opportunity, and religious freedom.


How Do These Realities Compare?


To summarize:


In Israel, Christians enjoy religious freedom, civil rights, and state protection. While incidents of harassment exist, especially from radical individuals, there is no government policy of persecution, and Christians thrive in many aspects of public and spiritual life.


In the West Bank, Christians live under a difficult balance: they are not officially persecuted by the Palestinian Authority but face social hostility in some Muslim-majority areas, lack strong legal protection, and are sometimes victims of external settler violence. Israeli security controls, while meant for national protection, further complicate access to worship sites and economic activity.


In Gaza, Christians are openly persecuted under Hamas rule. Their religious rights are denied, their safety is threatened, and their community is rapidly disappearing. This is a clear and ongoing case of religious oppression under a radical Islamist regime.


A Word to Believers


As followers of Christ, we must approach this issue with both truth and compassion. Christians in Israel are, by and large, safe and free. In the Palestinian territories—especially Gaza—the situation is far more precarious and dangerous. The sharp decline of Christians in the very land of its birth is deeply troubling and demands our attention, our intercession, and our voice.


We must support Israel’s right to exist and flourish, acknowledging its vital role in protecting religious minorities, including Christians, in a hostile region. At the same time, we must defend our persecuted brothers and sisters under Palestinian and Islamist regimes and resist attempts to politicize or downplay their suffering. Our concern must be rooted not in ideology, but in the unshakable truth of God’s Word and love for His people.


“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

‘May those who love you be secure.’”

— Psalm 122:6


#ASONE

Friday, July 11, 2025

REGENERATION: RESTORATION TO THE ORIGINAL AND THE BIRTH FROM ABOVE By Dr Josimar Salum

 

REGENERATION: RESTORATION TO THE ORIGINAL AND THE BIRTH FROM ABOVE


By Josimar Salum

July 11, 2025


“…by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”

— Titus 3:5


The doctrine of regeneration is one of the most essential—and at the same time most misunderstood—teachings in all of biblical theology. Often treated as a synonym for being “born again,” regeneration has been reduced to symbolic language about being born a second time or repeating a beginning. However, when we carefully examine the teaching of Scripture—especially in light of the Koine and Classical Greek languages—we discover that biblical regeneration is, above all, a return to the origin, a restoration of the human being to God’s original purpose: to be in the image and likeness of the Creator, a partaker of the nature of God.


John 3:3 — Did Jesus Say “Born Again” or “Born from Above”?


The basis for a common doctrinal misunderstanding is found in John 3:3, where Jesus speaks with Nicodemus:


“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above (gennēthē anōthen), he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”


The key word here is (aōthen), which means “from above,” “from heaven,” not palin— “again” in the sense of temporal repetition.

Those who interpret this as “born again” are actually following Nicodemus’s misunderstanding, not Jesus’ teaching:


“How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

— John 3:4


Jesus was not speaking about repeating physical birth, but about receiving a spiritual origin from above, from God, by the operation of the Spirit.


Palingenesia — The True Meaning of Regeneration


The Greek word used in the New Testament for regeneration is (palingenesia), and it appears only twice:


1. Titus 3:5 — Referring to the individual’s transformation:


“…by the washing of regeneration (palingenesia) and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”


2. Matthew 19:28 — Referring to the future restoration of creation:


“In the regeneration, when the Son of Man will sit on the throne of His glory…”


Etymologically:

palin = again

genesis = origin, birth


But its meaning, both in classical and Koine Greek, is that of restoration to an original condition


Stoic and Pythagorean philosophers, as well as authors like Plutarch, used palingenesiato describe the cyclical renewal of the world, the restoration of original order, or the spiritual rebirth of the soul.


In other words, it is not a second temporal birth, but a return to the origin—to the state originally created by God before the fall.


Regeneration in Scripture: Restoration of Creation in Christ


Regeneration is not a symbolic concept, but a real and supernatural work of God. According to Titus 3:5, it is a spiritual washing and renewing by the Holy Spirit, not a moral improvement or external ritual.


This restoration brings about complete transformation:


The man who was dead in his sins (Ephesians 2:1) is made alive by God.


He receives a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26).


He is reconciled with God and receives a new spiritual origin.


He now becomes part of a new reality: the new creation.


The Bible says "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10. We are created, not recreated. We are born from above once. 


Not Just Change: A New Creation


2 Corinthians 5:17 says:


“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (kainē ktisis); old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”


The Greek phrase (kainē ktisis) literally means new creation, not merely “new creature.”


This expression connects directly with the language of Genesis and Revelation 21:5 — “Behold, I make all things new.”


It does not speak of someone who is morally improved, but of someone who has been incorporated into the divine order of the new creation in Christ — the beginning of the restoration of all things.


The regenerated person is not simply changed; he is reinserted into God’s eternal purpose, as a child born from above, conformed to the image of Christ.


Reducing regeneration to a second birth or a moral change is to deny its true power. 


Regeneration According to Scripture:


It is the work of God, not of man.


“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

— Titus 3:5


It is a spiritual birth accomplished by the Spirit.


“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

— John 3:6


It is being born from above, not by human will.


“Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

— John 1:13


It is being made a new creation in Christ.


“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

— 2 Corinthians 5:17


Therefore, based on biblical exegesis and the original Greek language:


Jesus taught about being born from above, not about repeating physical birth neither being born again.


Palingenesia means restoration to origin—not merely a new beginning.


The new creation is the spiritual existence  of those who have been regenerated—restored to communion with God and His eternal purpose in Christ.


The regenerated person is the one who has been connected to the Source, brought back to the creative act of God, and integrated into the new creation He established in Christ before the foundation of the world.



“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”

— Romans 8:29


#ASONE