What you write is the truth. But the world and many Churches still do not get it. They are still blaming israel for the ills of the world and still calling israel an apartheid state---one of the greatest jokes since Israel is the ONLY place in the Mid-East where all religions are free to practice. Why not submit this to the New York Times as an OP-Ed. Those readers need to hear this!

Professor Yari fails to mention the Christians of Israel, are they any better in this democratic land? there were many instances of attacks and insults on clergy of different denominations right in the streets of Jerusalem and never reported or condemned,

Come on guys.

The only solution for the Christians in Middle East: Full Israeli sovereignty in defensible borders including Golan, Judea, Samaria, preferably Sinai and some land currently occupied by Lebanon. Population exchange: hostile Sunni Muslims from Israel in 1 to 1 exchange for Christians (and Druze) who get full citizenship in Israel.

Numbers of Christians in Israel have steadily increased since 1948.

San, not only is the status of Christians in Israel in good shape, Israel is the only country in the region in which the Christian population is growing.

have been Bbrned while the Christian’s were inside praying? Attacks on Clergy, a gesture of thanks for the Christian invasion of our land, Crusades, Inquisition, Pogroms and the killing of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust Your clergy may have been spat upon, ours were killed, my heart bleeds for you We'll wait for the Christian's to apologize first

the arabs UN and the palestinians will try and find some sort of fomula to blame israel for this and do the churches round the world say about this sweet F A

when people and media keep on telling lies and the people who listen to it do not check the facts themselves they get used to it and belive it including the people who tell the lies araft did it and he succeeded with the big bluff

Christians in Israel for fear not find out who knows what. Actually, he should have mentioned Israeli Christians as a flourishing and growing community in Israel. But this is something you , like all other Israel bashers, do not notice, do not mention and do remark. Why? Take a wild guess ! For the same old reason of hating Jews and Israel. As a matter of fact, Christian Arabs and non-Arabs are very seriously and highly regarded in the Israeli society and are positioned at almost every level of the Israeli society, including political and military. How about visiting Israel and not only reading garbage articles in dumpster newspapers?!

It is true; muslims in the arab world are turning on the Christians in the ultimate betrayal to their countrymen who existed there before there even was something called Islam. Again and again muslims are proving Islam ain’t no religious of “tolerance” but of violence and church bombings. While our situation in Israel is much better, still the government can do much more to protect the community against jewish attacks and against institutionalized discrimination.

In general I found this article good and relevant, but with some quite strange errors. 1. Christians were always just a small minority in Tunisia and Algeria, never even close to a majority. 2. The country in the Middle East where the Christian population has declined the most is still Israel. In no other country has the Christian percentage of the population fallen so sharply in the last 70 years.

Obvioulsy the percentage of Christians to the general population in Israel has fallen, but there are 2 reasons for this 1 The birth rate of Christians is lower then it was 70 years ago. 2 The Immigration of Jews into Israel Neither of these reasons can be compared in any way to the fall of TOTAL number of Christians in Arab countries over the past 70 years.

They devote their attention to castigating Israel as the source of all problems. Why are these churches not speaking up for their fellow Christian Arabs who are under relentless attack from Muslims? If Christians in Arab lands were accorded the same freedoms as in Israel, this article would never have been written.

Jonny, you try to explain the fact that the decrease in the Christian population has been greater in Israel than in any other country in the region. None of the two explanations you provide holds up, though 1. Yes, the birth rate of Christians is lower than 70 years ago. But that's true everywhere. It's true for Christians in Israel, but also for Christians in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. 2. The immigration to Israel is a better explanation, but you then claim that total number of Christians have fallen in all other countries. That's not correct either. There are much more Christians in both Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt than there were 70 years ago. So the fact remains. The Christian part of the population has decreased everywhere in the region, but nowhere else has it decreased as drastically as in Israel. We can discuss the reasons if we want, but those are facts we cannot deny.

This is a article filled with gibberish designed to garner support from Western(Christian) nations for the state of "Israel." Christians have never been a major force in Saudi Arabia nor have I ever met a Saudi Christian in my life, or the descendent of one! Christians in Algeria, Tunisia and Libya were never close to half of the population. In fact they were never more than 3% of the population. Christians haven't been the majority in Lebanon since the 1930's, but still run the country. Every Lebanese knows who has the real power. Syrian Christians have been treated very well, although the war has affected everyone, LEAST the Christians as they have no part in it. Egypt is the only correct case- Christians there are treated poorly, and have been for decades. And the Christian population in "Israel" has gone DOWN as a percentage, but up as a whole number because of immigration from Soviet nations to Israel. Palestine was 20% Christian before the European settlers showed up.

how youhave forgotten to mention iraq and the Caldeans? Cladeans are cathloic iraqi's, and only one was with the baath party/sadaam's regime (tairq azzizes) lebanon has a Christian president only no power, no authority a dog with no bite, Christian Militia had to hand over their arms and lebanese army is IMPOTENT and guess who has ALL the power in lebanon? muzzies a terrorist group! eygpt is Commiting Christian Genocide! Where in a arab cuntry can a Shul or Church be built without UP ROAR and lack of tolerance? So ferdinand Your Explaination Is B.S. as well my friend!

Conveniently omitted Christans in Israel and occupied Palestine - For details google "Christians of the Holy Land" and check on your own what they got to say on this subject ,...

the population of christians in israel, IS THE ONLY CHRISTIAN POPULATION THAT EXPERIENCED A 6% GROWTH IN THE PAST DECADE. israeli christian arabs have been the only community in the middle east that has grown and enjoys freedom and complete protection of their lives and rights. IN ISRAEL, no christian arab is hounded or executed. the christian population in israel IS THE ONLY CHRISTIAN POPULATION THAT MULTIPLIED IN THE MIDDLE EAST. check your facts. in fact those incidences you are talking about are not many. only a very very few happened and they are always reported to the israeli police which acts on them asap. the haredi religious male who spat on one clergy priest in jerusalem last year sat in jail for 60 days as punishment. ask any christian arab in israel if they want to live under the palestinian authority in palestine. 9,000 of them ran to the israeli consulate to get israeli id cards a couple of years ago when they felt that maybe a new palestinian state will be formed. arab christians are educated in israel compared to their islamic brothers and sisters. they are civilized and productive. they like being in israel contrary to what you think. hameed aboughaze, iranian

i somewhat agree with you. yet, israel doesn't burn churches and systematically kill christians in their country and the christian arab community in israel enjoys a far far better life than they would under any muslim rule or muslim country. this is a good start. the rest, as you say, will happen eventually. israel is a kind nation to its people, those who never demand it disappears from the face of the earth. the arab muslims in israel is a different story. they are traitors to this country and they hate anything jewish. i do not mean the druz or some beduins, but the sunni muslims that reside in israel and are represented by idiots like zoabi, barake and tibi who do everything possible to exclude their population from israeli life and to exclude them form israeli country and also to instigate problems for them with the jews in israel. these arab leaders are useless to their community and do more damage to those that elect them than to anyone.

you are incorrect. the country in the middle east where the christian population grew the most IS ISRAEL. check your facts.

"Israeli settlers burn church in Jerusalem - October 30, 2010. In 2006, an Israeli couple tried to firebomb a church in Nazareth. Many more were destroyed by Israeli forces during the 1948 and 67 wars. Unlike Israel Muslim countries don't claim or pretend to be democratic ,...

How much power do the Israeli president have ? ,...

and the holy jewish city of jerusalem before the birth of israel and before any "european migration" to palestine was 80% RELIGIOUS JEWS. did you know that? did you know that jerusalem in the 30's and 40's was 80% jewish until you arabs cleansed the jews out of it in 48? and even before that?

Your enemies are legion. Christians are one of the few groups that still back you lot. Even your own brethren overseas are turning their face against you. Play it smart, and cultivate those Christian allies. Your position is too precarious for you to do otherwise.

Your Rock? Well you haji Lover No Mentioned Israel or Mr.S.Peres? This article is about Declining numbers of Christians in The Middle East, and how your masters in isslim Are Cleansing arab lands. First Jews and Now Christians? So your KNEE JERK RESPONSE just shows how You and your ilk ALWAYS COMES back to Israel And My People! Your Filthy, Venomis Hatred Is Not Good For ones health, you really should see a doctor? BTW You Don't get a Jewish Doctor Either! Go see a indian or arab doctor maybe they can try to cure what ills you? Have A Great And Sparkly Day

are mostly anti-Israel Arabs and the allies of Abu Mazen...!

what these christians had to say is this, when it was believed that abu mazen (mahmood abbas) will finally get his palestinian state, more than 9,000 christian arabs living in the west bank (the rest fled because of islamic harrassment and persecution), ran to the israeli embassy in tel aviv to demand israeli id cards. this is the response they had because they knew deep down what it will be like to live under the islamic pa or hamas in the new palestinian state. do you think christian arabs in israel that enjoy population growth and freedom would like to live under suni arab islamic rule? you must be crazy. hameed aboughaze, iranian

can you please substantiate your three claims with actual news footage from mainstream newspapers so we know you are not an absolute LIAR! hameed aboughze, iranian

a lot!