Obama is First US President in Office who Speaks of the Suffering of Palestinian Christians

"It is undeniable that the Palestinian people- Muslim and Christians- have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation, Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza and neighboring lands of a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations- large and small that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation of the Palestinian people is intolerable."

The above words were spoken by the President of the United States Barack Obama in Cairo to millions of people around the world. Never before had a US president even admitted the existence of Palestinian Christians let alone speak of the suffering of Palestinian Christians.

For years Americans were fed the stereotypical image of Palestinians as nothing less than Islamic terrorists. Jewish Israelis on the other hand were presented with the image of people with similar values and part of the Judeo Christian heritage. Right wing Christian televangelists and Christian Zionists portrayed the evil Palestinians who were somehow an obstacle to the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies. These Christian Zionists never admitted the existence of fellow Palestinian Christians let alone admit that they were suffering at the hands of the 'chosen' Jewish people.

In his 47 minute speech at Cairo University President Obama spoke in general terms about the rights of other Christian communities including Egyptian Coptic Christians and Lebanese Maronites.

In the past month the issue of Arab Christians was raised in public during the visit of Pope Bendict XVI. In welcoming the pope at the King Hussein Mosque in Amman, Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad gave special reference to Arab Christians: "Christians were in Jordan 600 years before Muslims. Indeed, Jordanian Christians are perhaps the oldest Christian community in the world, and the majority have always been Orthodox."

Statistics regarding Arab Christians vary. Wikipedia states that Christians today make up 9.2 per cent of the population of the Near East. In Lebanon, they now number around 39 percent, in Syria from 10 to 15 percent. In Palestine before the creation of Israel, estimates range up to as much as 40 per cent, but mass emigration has slashed the number at present to 3.8 percent. In Israel, Arab Christians constitute 2.1 percent (or roughly 10 percent of the Arab population). In Egypt, they constitute between 9 and 16 percent of the population (the government figures put them at 6 percent).

Around two-thirds of North and South American and Australian Arabs are Christian, particularly from Lebanon, but also from Palestine and Syria. The current president of El Salvador, Antonio Saca, comes from well-known Christian Palestinian ancestry; his family emigrated from Bethlehem in the early 20th century.

Although the number of Christian Palestinians in Jerusalem and the occupied territories has dwindled over the years, they are still a key component of the Palestinian and Arab peoples of the region.

Activists blame violence, occupation and uncertainty, coupled with work (or lack thereof) and emigration opportunities as the main reason for the flight of Christian Palestinians to the Americas, Australia and Europe. Unlike followers of the Jewish and Muslim faiths, Christians have no religious attachment to physical locations. Scholars refer to the response of Jesus to the Samaritan woman's question about whether to worship in Jerusalem or in the Sumerian mountains. Jesus replied to her: "Neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

A survey issued by the UN Office of Humanitarian Aid announced just prior to the visit of the Pope in May showed that Bethlehem, the birth place of Christ is being choked. In its report, the UN showed how the 176,230 Palestinians who live in the Bethlehem District amid 86,000 Israelis stood to lose even more of their land to 19 settlements and 16 outposts.

"The physical and administrative restrictions allocate most of Bethlehem's remaining land reserves for Israeli military and settler use, effectively reducing the space available to the Palestinian inhabitants of Bethlehem," the report stated. Bethlehem's potential for residential and industrial development had been reduced, as had its access to natural resources, it said. According to the UN report, the security wall has also made it difficult for Christians and Muslims to travel to religious sites outside of the city. The once predominantly Christian town a few kilometers south of Jerusalem today boosts only 40% Christian population.

While it is safe to say that the US administration still views the Middle East conflict in political rather than religious terms, it is refreshing to hear a US president give recognition to a small but faithful Palestinian Christian community.

Comments

[VikingLS]

I have often wondered if Americans evangellicals would be as supportive of Isreal if they considered the plight of Arab Christians. However I am not sure since Catholic/Orthodx solidarity with protestants has never been very strong. Obama also spoke for the reopening of the ancient (and beautiful) seminary on Halki Island off Istanbul. To borrow a word from our jewish brothers, Obama is a mensch!

[Taxi]

We need more articles about the plight of Palestinian Christians.

Especially those living in Gaza.

[JerryLevy]

I would like to see some articles on the growth of Christianity in Israel....­.it is growing double digit in the only Middle Eastern country that respects all religions. Christians who live in Israel are prospering. Not so in Egypt, Palestine, Pakistan, Iraq, etc.

[minimalist syntax]

Could you provide a link to support what you are saying? When I look at online references it says that most Christians in Israel are associated with the monasteries that are there or come there to work in the churches so it is not like there is a growing community of Christians there that come out of the Israeli population. Moreover, the Orthodox Church happens to own huge amounts of land in Israel for historical reasons, so it would not be possible to repress it in Israel.

Pakistan is not a country that has an ancient tradition of Christianity so it is not directly relevant to the discussion here.

[minimalist syntax]

I send my solidarity and my love to my Orthodox brothers and sisters in Palestine. I share my slightly late: Al Maseeh Qam, Haqqam Qam!

[naschkatze]

Where has the pope been on this issue?

[JM09]

Thanks for the great blog. The best sources I have ever read about the plight of Palestinian Christians are "Blood Brothers" and "We Belong to the Land". Both books are by Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Christian Priest living in Galilee. His family was forcibly evicted from their village by the Israeli military after statehood was declared in 1948. He tells the refugee story with depth, feeling and complete honesty. They are wonderful books and anyone who really wants to know about what life is like for Palestinian Christians needs to read them.

[Jezreel]

PTA: "Never before had a US president even admitted the existence of Palestinian Christians let alone speak of the suffering of Palestinian Christians­."

Excellent article, Mr. Kuttab.

Your assessment is spot on. Almost no one in the Western Media or in right-wing, Christian Evangelical circles acknowledges the oppression and suffering of Arab and Palestinian Christians living under Israel's Likud Regime.

When Israel attacked Lebanon in 2006 and massacred hundreds of Lebanese civilians, no one in the Western Media pointed out that both the Army and the Presidency of Lebanon were controlled by Christians who are sympathetic to the U.S.

Even as the Cheney, Bush, Rice and UN Ambassador Bolton were pushing the narrative that Israel was attacking Hizbollah Strongholds, America's Christian Right was supporting Israel's massacre unconditionally,

When Israel was striking “Hizballah infrastructure, bombing power stations, a lighthouse, dairies and factories, trucks ferrying medical supplies from Syria, minivans packed with fleeing Lebanese refugees, cellular phone towers and television broadcast transmitters American Christian Conservatives did not bat an eye.

Israel's politics has always been prejudiced against Christians. As a result, Christians have been subjected to the same contempt and abuse as Palestinians. At the same time, politically motivated, American Christians who subscribe to the Dispensationlist view of Christian doctrine blindly support political Israel while disregarding the oppression of other Christians.

[alexa07]

Yes, Israel's carnage in Lebanon was supported, even applauded by most American Christian conservatives & by the corporate news media. I did not hear one word of analysis in the mainstream news that described the frustration of the Israelis that they had never been able to achieve their long held goal (since the late 1960s & early 70s) of obtaining economic & military control of the Litani River, a vast resource for the area in the south of Lebanon.

[Wael Nawara 1]

The Speech was historical in many aspects. I think Obama touched the hearts of the people and this can become a driving force for change.

[wanttruth]

Good post. I agree.

[bergerkos]

Jesus replied to her: "Neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." ...

Well, "Mahatma" Gandhi is known to have stated once, that all the political problems could be solved on the basis of Jesus' "sermon on the mount", as found at Matthew chapters 5-7. The time is good now to learn about God's ways. I personally like this verse from Psalm 2 (10-12):

"And now, O kings, exercise insight;
Let yourselves be corrected, O judges of the earth.
Serve Jehovah with fear
And be joyful with trembling.
Kiss the son, that He may not become incensed
And YOU may not perish [from] the way,
For his anger flares up easily.
Happy are all those taking refuge in him. "

[Realization]

I have wondered for years why there has not been more information on Palestinian Christians. Maybe "wondered" is a poor choice of words. The U.S. media is generally poor at handling anything that is not superficial. The failure to understand "globalization", 'Free Trade", and "protectionist" is something I have always found particularly annoying. Most other major countries have a better vision of the world - less egocentrism.

The images we often see of Palestinians with guns or whatever shouting are not representative of Palestinians and have created the idea that they are all "terrorists". This should be offset with daily coverage of the actions of Israeli settlers and other Israeli extremists - and their arrogant views of the U.S. These people are no allies of ours. Time Americans got to know them well.

[GZLives]

There was Palestinian violence long before there were ever settlements ... duhhh
And when settlement construction stops and it will ... there'll still be violence and there will never be an Arab peace. Ask Hamas how they feel about Jews or are you all too afraid to confront the basic reality that much of the Arab world really does believe the Jews are descended from dogs and pigs like many of their Imams tell them ... who knows, maybe many of you all believe that too.

President Obama made it clear that the Arabs must end the incitement. Do any of you understand what that means ? Doesn't seem like it since many of you seem to spew the same poison.

[CognitoErgoSum]

National Geographic Magazine recently made similar assertians about Arab Christians. Also, if you tooked up "Assyrian" in Wikipedia, you'd learn that they were also among the first in the region to convert to Christianity before being supplanted from their land by the Kurds. If you want to read some of the rancor that still exists over that issue, simply go to You Tube and search on Assyrian, watch some of the uploaded Assyrian pride videos and read the comments underneath. It's like being in a schoolyard.