The Israeli occupation has helped to cause the suffering of Palestinian Christians

The reality on the ground could not be more different to what Mr Jaffe describes.

In 2019 alone we have seen Palestinian Christian properties, such as the well-known Al-Makhrour valley restaurant and guest house owned by the Qaisyeh family, being demolished by Israel (https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/restaurant-and-home-demolished-al-makhrour-aided-jewish-national-fund).

Easter 2019 saw Israel’s ‘civil administration’ bar hundreds of Palestinian Christians from travelling to Jerusalem for Easter and more recently the same administrative authority of the Israeli military refused to grant Palestinian Christians permits to travel from Gaza to Bethlehem. (https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Gaza-Christians-say-few-Israeli-permits-granted-for-Christmas-travel-611976)

Palestinian Christians do indeed face persecution from groups like Hamas. It is important to recognise the oppression that Palestinians face from factions and militant groups that claim to represent them. But this does not erase the fact that the majority of Palestinian Christians who are now living abroad in places like the US and South America cite the crippling conditions under occupation, restrictions on free movement, theft of their land and the financial hardship caused by Israel as the main push factors which have forced them to find a life elsewhere.

Mr Jaffe paints a bleak picture of Bethlehem, ignoring that the demographics he cites include a majority Palestinian Muslim population residing in the three main refugee camps in and around Bethlehem.

Despite all the hardship faced by Palestinian Christians, from Israel’s occupation all the way to the discrimination they face from Palestinian factions and authorities, there is a thriving community of Christian Palestinians who are struggling on alongside their non-Christian Palestinian compatriots.

Palestinians of all faiths perform relatively well in the education sector despite the extreme hardships they face under Israel’s occupation. Latest statistics provided by UNDP shows a mixed picture when it comes to education — with a high literacy rate of 96.3%, with this being divided up almost evenly between men (98.4%) and women (94.1%).

Major barriers cited to education in Palestine include lack of school infrastructure, Israel’s occupation and demolition of Palestinian schools serving certain communities and the lack of college and university spaces available.

The claim that Bethlehem is a ‘stronghold of the Islamic jihad movement’ simply isn’t accurate in the slightest. To understand this point further one needs to study the source of Palestinian violence toward Israelis and also to recognise that Palestinian Christians, alongside Muslims, were taking up arms against Israel to defend places like Bethlehem during the second intifada.

Today in Bethlehem the situation is highly complex and the relationships between different communities is indeed strained. But the counter factual claims and omissions of Mr Jaffe only serve to further demonise Palestinians and promote an anti-Palestinian (and anti-peace) agenda through division.

Had Mr Jaffe spent time in Bethlehem, speaking to the diverse community of Palestinian Christians who live there, he might have a fuller understanding of this nuanced situation.

If you ignore these points then you are choosing to remain wilfully ignorant of the pressures that all Palestinians, including Christians, all face together under Israel’s brutal occupation.

This is why Palestinians should absolutely have our solidarity as they struggle for justice, dignity and fundamental human rights.

Gary Spedding, Cross-party consultant on Israel-Palestine, Tynemouth