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Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
[Credit image World Christian Database]
Location: Middle East, on the eastern side of the Mediterranean
Occupied Palestinian Territories: West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem
Population: 6. 9 million (Israel). 3.9 million (Occupied Palestinian Territories)
Climate: Mediterranean climate characterised by long, hot, dry summers and short, cool, rainy winters
64 per cent of Palestinians live below the poverty line. This figures rises to 87 per cent in the Gaza Strip, where access to trade links and the outside world is severely curtailed. In 1998 the figure was just 20 per cent. The majority of the Palestinian population now exist on less than £1.10 a day.
Conflict
40 years on since the Six Day War, Israel still occupies the Palestinian territories and the situation still shows no sign of being resolved. The statistics speak for themselves
Between September 2000 and end of 2006:
•4,046 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces and civilians
•701 Israeli civilians were killed by Palestinians
•316 Israeli forces personnel were killed by Palestinians
•811 Palestinian minors were killed by Israeli forces
•119 Israeli minors were killed by Palestinians.
Separation barrier
•On April 2006, the approved length of the final barrier was 703km long.
•Once completed, 247,800 Palestinians east of the barrier will be completely or partially surrounded, will require permits to live in their homes, and will only be able to leave their communities via a gate in the barrier.
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Lack of access to water
Palestinian access to water supplies in the occupied territories is limited. Israel controls major Palestinian underground reserves such as the Mountain Aquifer, which runs along the border between the West Bank and Israel. It is the region's largest, cleanest and most reliable water source and Israel currently earmarks 80 per cent of it for its own use. As a result, Palestinians in the West Bank suffer a permanent water crisis, making it impossible for them to meet their basic needs. Israel also prohibits Palestinians from drilling new wells or rehabilitating old ones.
•Over 200 communities in the West Bank are not connected to a water network.
•Israel has the highest per capita consumption of water in the region and since 1967 Israel has met much of its water demands by drawing it from the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
•Article 54 of Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions states: ‘It is prohibited to attack, destroy, remove or render useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuffs, agricultural areas for the production of foodstuffs, crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation work.’
More than 80% of the water from the West Bank goes to Israel.
•The Palestinians are allotted just 18% of the water that is extracted from their own land.
•Israeli settlers living in the West Bank have un-metered access to water.
•The Israeli settlers in the occupied territories benefit from more advanced pump technology and use as much as ten times more water per capita than Palestinians.
Sources: B’Tselem, 2007; UN OCHA, 2006; Negotiations Affairs Department, PLO, 2006; UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, January 2007; Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics; PA Central Bureau of Statistics; US AID and Palestinian Water Authority 2005; CIA World Factbook; UNRWA.
The Church in Israel
The Christian population makes up 2.1% (148,000 people) of the total population of the State of Israel. In 1949, one year after the establishment of the country, the Christian population numbered 34,000 people - 2.9% of the total population of Israel. The decline in the rate of population growth continues being around 5%. 60% of the Christian population lives in the north of the country.¹ It has been found that Christian birth-rates are lower the Muslim ones.
About 83% of the Christians are of Palestinian ethnic descent Nazareth’s Christians used to be in majority, with a Christian Mayor, but the time is coming when this will not be the case. The number of Christian Palestinian citizens of Israel who leave Israel is smaller than those who leave the West Bank. This may be due to the difference in living standards. In Israel, Christians are conducting their lives under relatively normal conditions. ²
In 2005 more than one-half of the Christian population was concentrated in urban areas, such as Nazareth (approximately 20,000), Haifa (16,900), Jerusalem (14,900) Shfaram (8,700), Tel Aviv-Yafo (5,500), I’billin (4,700), Kafar Yasif (4,600) and Nazareth Illit (4,300). ¹
The Church in West Bank and Gaza Strip
Palestinian Christians form a small minority of up to 2.4% of the population of the West Bank and Gaza. The emigration of Christians from the occupied territories is due to a number of reasons. Christians often have family and friends abroad and so find it easier to leave, to escape the ongoing conflict. Bethlehem, which has a large Christian population, has been particularly affected by closures of the West Bank, cutting the town off from nearby Jerusalem. Many Christians in Bethlehem are fearing a greater decline in the Christian presence there after 2008. Economic and social exclusion, because of the separation wall, means people have lost their means of income. Many were reliant on the pilgrim and tourist industry and like all West Bank residents need hard-to-get permits to enter Jerusalem. Families want to find a peaceful place to live so look to move abroad. In a survey conducted by Sabeel, the two main reasons for emigrating were, political 36% and employment 33%.
Around 3,000 Christians worship in Gaza City where the Greek Orthodox and Catholic churches predominate. A few hundred Christians belong to the Coptic and Anglican churches. Palestinian Christians have existed since the earliest days of Christianity. However, in the last 50 years Christian numbers have declined to the extent that some church leaders have expressed concern that there will be no Christian communities in the Holy Land in years to come. If you visit the area please make sure you join with local worshippers. As Sabeel says, in its analysis of their survey,
“Churches must act and do everything possible before holy places become mere monuments. There is still time to overcome this problem but not much time before the population reaches its irreversible size.”²
¹ Israel Central Bureau of Statistics internal figures for the end of year, Ari Paltiel, head of the Population Department. www.cbs.gov.il
² Sabeel Survey on Palestinian Christians in the West Bank and Israel 2006 www.sabeel.org
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Ways to bring Commitment for Life to the whole church
Whether you are a new or a long standing church, it is good to revisit Commitment for Life from time to time. Below are a few ideas collected from churches around the country that may set you thinking of ideas of your own.
· Why not light a candle each week and pray for your country and the Christian Aid partners there. Use candles made by Jamaica Aids Support for Life.
· Have you thought about a special Commitment for Life Sunday? Contact your local Advocate or Church House for speakers. A CD Rom of service ideas is available for all four countries.
· Use the notice board to make an impact. Blow up stories from our e-letters or updates. Use colours to match the flag of the country. Drape fabrics to complement the display. Christian Aid resources are useful for campaign focus displays. Images from the CD can be printed and enlarged on a photocopier. Make it bright and bold.
· If your church has a Traidcraft stall, ask them to sell items from your particular country one week. Have tastings of Caribbean bananas or Palestinian olive oil after the service.
· Hold a flower or Christmas Tree Festival, with arrangements or decorations based on your chosen country and issues such as Fairtrade, Trade Justice, HIV or Debt.
· Many churches hold themed meals with a speaker. Scour the internet for recipe ideas.
· Tell the young people about the situation in your focus country, they will have wonderful ideas of how to get the message across.
· This sheet will give you lots of information to make up quizzes or write magazine articles.
· Include campaign postcard signing as part of your service.
· Start an action group. Decide on an issue and encourage each other to learn about it and write letters to MPs or companies.
· Try pitta or naan bread for communion. Use ethnic cloth to decorate the communion table.
· Show films such as An Inconvenient Truth (climate change) The Iron Wall ( Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories situation).
· Collect stories about your country from the media and use as stimulus for prayer each week.
· Music related to your country adds atmosphere to a service. Try World Church Hymns.
We have many resources which we are willing to lend out to churches. Speak to us for ideas to help you engage with the issues. Please contact Commitment for Life. Linda Mead; 01702 315981
URC logo and address
Christian Aid logo and charity number
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