Introduction

Christianity originated in the Holy Land and has maintained an important presence in the Land of Israel over the centuries. The Christian communities and the Christian holy places in Israel are held in special regard both by the Christian world and the State of Israel.

The Christian population of Israel numbers about 161,000 (Dec. 2013), about 2% of Israel’s total population. The majority are Christian Arab Israelis, while approximately twenty percent of Israel's Christian citizens are new immigrants and their children, most of whom migrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union in the 1990’s. About 11,900 Christians live in Jerusalem.

The Christian population is growing steadily, although at a slower rate than other religious groups, with a natural growth rate of 1.9% (Dec. 2012). About 60% of Israeli Christians belong to the Greek-Catholic Melkite denomination. The Greek Orthodox is the second largest community, accounting for about 30% of Israeli Christians. The remaining Christians belong to the Latin, Maronite, Anglican, Lutheran, Armenian, Syrian, Ethiopian, Coptic and other communities.

The Israeli government supports the Christian communities and works to encourages them to remain in Israel. One example was the prevention of the construction of the Shihab al-Din Mosque adjacent to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, despite strong political support from Israeli Muslim groups.

In recent years, there has been an initiative by many young Christians to volunteer for the IDF and the police and, simultaneously, a sizable number are integrating into public administration and government ministries. In the general elections held on 22 January 2013, an Arab Christian, Dr. Hanna Swaid of the Hadash party, was elected to the 19th Knesset.

Pope Benedict XVI, who visited Israel in May 2009, met with the heads of the local Catholic Church and called upon them to continue their presence in the Holy Land.


Distribution of the Christian communities in Israel

About 60% of Christians in Israel resided in the northern district, 14% in the Haifa district, 11.1% in Jerusalem, 5.5% in Tel Aviv, 4.8% in the central district and 3.1% in the southern district (2009). Most of the Christian population, about 75%, is located in the western Galilee, concentrated in the cities of Haifa and Nazareth, and in villages such as Shfaram and Kfar Yasif, where the population includes Muslims and Christians. The only completely Christian villages in Israel are Ma’aliya and Fassuta in northern Israel.


Education and culture

The aspirations of Christian Israelis are quite similar to those of Jewish Israelis, placing an emphasis on quality of life, education, health and culture.

Education in the Christian Arab community is a mainstay of community activity and the day-to-day lives of every family. Education is of supreme importance in community life.

Despite the small proportion of Christians in the population, the Christian communities have always operated schools and educational institutions in Israel, serving the general Christian population and also accepting non-Christian students. Most Christian schools are defined as private schools that are “recognized but not official.” The schools are multicultural with a high scholastic level and uncompromising discipline. Most of the Christian schools are connected to churches and benefit from the dedication of the church and its staff.

Christian students in Israel stand out for their scholastic achievements in the matriculation exams, higher than any other ethnic group in Israel. The percentage of Christian students who earned matriculation certificates in 2012 was 69%, higher than the Jewish at 61%, the Druze at 64%, and the Muslim community at 50%.

This impressive academic potential is reflected in the integration of the Christian Arab community into the Israeli economy.  A high percentage - 25% - among those employed in this community are in the free academic and technical professions. A similar percentage was reported for the Israeli Jewish community.


Religion and community

The Christian community in Israel maintains a mainly secular, modern lifestyle. Religious institutions play an important role in the lives of members of the community, connecting them on family celebrations, religious holidays, and public occasions.

Aside from their importance in Christian family and community life, Christian religious institutions, as the emissaries of the world churches, are in charge of preserving Christianity's historical, spiritual and material assets in Israel. Because of the status of the Land of Israel as the cradle of Christianity, the churches in Israel have an international importance that exceeds the size of the community. The state does not intervene in the activities of the churches and the institutions that are dependent on them.

Most of the Christian community in Israel (79.8%) is part of the Israeli Arab population. In towns in which the Christian community succeeds in influencing the tone, their character is generally moderate and liberal.


Municipal management

While the Christians in Israel live primarily in mixed towns and cities - Nazareth, Haifa and Jerusalem - special status is enjoyed by local authorities that are Christian or have a Christian nature. Today there are seven such local authorities: Iblin, Gush Halav, Kfar Yasif, Ma’aliya, Ailabun, Fassuta and Rama.

Ma’aliya and Fassuta are the only two local authorities (not only in Israel but in the entire Middle East) in which the population is homogeneously Christian. While in the other towns the percentage of Christians is declining each year due to the low natural increase, these two local authorities have succeeded in maintaining their unique character and constitute a sort of cultural sanctuary for Christians from all over the country. Israel's goal is to strengthen the Christian municipal authorities,, while enabling them to maintain a Christian lifestyle that is consistent with the needs of most of the population.


The Christian communities in Jerusalem

Jerusalem contains some of Christianity’s most important holy sites. Although Christians constitute only about 2% of the city’s population (about 15,000 people, including monks, nuns and clergymen), they have always been an important part of its cultural tapestry. The various Christian communities and institutions in the city represent millions of believers throughout the world.

Jerusalem is the only city in the world in which almost all of the churches and Christian denominations aspire to maintain a presence.
 
Historically, the churches and the European powers backing them have been major real estate holders in Jerusalem, dating primarily from the second half of the 19th century to the First World War. According to research that was conducted by the Jerusalem Institute, the churches hold 15 sq. km. (1,235 acres) of land (almost six times the area of the Old City). These properties are concentrated in important and centrally located areas of the city, such as the Old City and its basin, the Mount of Olives, Liberty Bell Park and Bloomfield Park, the area of Keren Hayesod Street and the Talbiya neighborhood, the Valley of the Cross and its environs., the public park surrounding the San Simon monastery, the Har Homa area, etc. This situation makes the churches an extremely significant factor in the development of the city in general, and the Old City basin in particular.

About 53% of the tourists who visited Israel and Jerusalem in 2013 were Christian. The Christian holy places are not only places of worship, but attractions of the utmost importance for Christian pilgrims and international tourism. Christmas and Easter have always drawn vast numbers of visitors, and ceremonies such as the Miracle of the Holy Fire, which is celebrated at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre before Easter, are becoming major global focal points of religious and cultural tourism. The local Christian communities and organizations in Jerusalem are partners in developing this tourism.

The Christian communities and organizations operating in Jerusalem are an important part of its economy and its future. The living Christian communities that continue to exist in Jerusalem represent a cultural and historical wealth of denominations and groups  Greek Orthodox, Latin Catholics, Armenians, Copts, Ethiopians, Syrians, Greek Catholics, Syrian Catholics, Armenian Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Baptists, Russian Orthodox, Romanians – not to be found in any other city in the world. Israel believes strongly in the importance of a vital Christian community in Jerusalem and is committed to its continuing growth.