Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Elevates the Findings of the “Protecting Holy Land Christians” Report
December 10, 2025, Washington, D.C.- Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) welcomes and affirms the newly released Protecting Holy Land Christians report and its urgent call to safeguard the Christian presence in the Holy Land. We stand in deep solidarity with our sisters and brothers whose testimonies fill these pages, and we bear witness to the daily realities facing Christian communities, churches, and institutions across Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.
The report vividly documents the profound toll of the ongoing war in Gaza on the Christian community. CMEP joins church leaders across the region in calling for the sustaining of the ceasefire, full humanitarian access, and international support for rebuilding the vital ministries of Gaza’s Christian community.
In the West Bank, the report highlights escalating settler violence and encroachments that directly threaten Christian life and heritage, including recent attacks in Taybeh, the West Bank’s last remaining all-Christian town, and incursions near the Monastery of St. Gerasimos. These acts of intimidation erode safety, economic stability, and the continuity of Christian presence in the land where our faith was born. CMEP echoes the report’s call for accountability for perpetrators of settler violence and for the full protection of religious sites, properties, and communities.
The report also documents unprecedented restrictions on freedom of worship in Jerusalem. Such discriminatory restrictions violate longstanding Status Quo arrangements and constitute a direct assault on the religious rights of Palestinian Christians. CMEP calls on Israeli authorities to guarantee unhindered, dignified access to holy sites for all Christians.
We likewise raise our voice alongside the Churches in warning against policies threatening Christian institutions through unjust taxation (arnona), punitive municipal actions, and development plans such as the proposed expansion of the Jerusalem Walls National Park on the Mount of Olives. These measures undermine the historic Christian presence, compromise sacred spaces, and obstruct the ability of churches to carry out their ministries.
The Protecting Holy Land Christians report is an essential, timely testimony from the church leaders and communities who embody the Christian witness of the Holy Land. CMEP strongly supports their recommendations, including:Ensuring the ceasefire in Gaza is upheld and expanded, with full humanitarian aid access
Supporting the reconstruction of church-run hospitals, schools, and social ministries
Holding settlers accountable for attacks on Christian communities and heritage sites
Guaranteeing freedom of worship and access to holy sites for all Christians
Ending punitive taxation practices and safeguarding church properties
Rejecting development plans that threaten Christian sites on the Mount of Olives and beyond
CMEP remains steadfast in elevating the voices of Holy Land Christians and advocating for their dignity, safety, and flourishing. As the report makes clear, the Christian community plays a vital role in the spiritual, social, and cultural fabric of the occupied Palestinian territories of Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.
We urge governments, policymakers, and global Christian communities to heed these testimonies, support the Churches’ ministries, and take meaningful action that protects the Christian presence in the Holy Land for generations to come.
You can read the full report below:
###
Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of more than 30 national church communions and organizations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical traditions that works to encourage US policies that actively promote a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in the Middle East with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. CMEP works to mobilize US Christians to embrace a holistic perspective and to be advocates of equality, human rights, security, and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, and all people of the Middle East.
Comments