Rising immigration and a deteriorating reality... The Church warns of the decline of the Christian presence in the West Bank
Haddad calls on German churches to move from statements to practical steps amid the deteriorating conditions in the West Bank
Quick Look
Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, Imad Haddad, warned that about 200 families had recently left the Bethlehem area, stressing that the increasing challenges were pushing young people to lose hope, and called on the German churches to move from statements to practical steps.
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Why It Matters
The General Assembly of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany was held in the city of Würzburg, where the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, Imad Haddad, delivered a speech in which he warned of the deteriorating conditions in the West Bank and the departure of Christian families.
The Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, Imad Haddad, sounded the alarm about the future of the Christian presence in the West Bank, stressing that reports available to the church indicate that about 200 families have left the Bethlehem area during the recent period, according to what was reported by the German Evangelical News Agency (epd).
A press conference was held today, Sunday (November 7, 2026), on the sidelines of the General Assembly of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany in the city of Würzburg, in which Haddad stressed the special importance of the continued Christian presence in Israel and the Palestinian territories, considering that Christians play an important role as bridges of communication and dialogue between different communities.
Haddad, who has been president of the Lutheran Church in the Holy Land since 2026, pointed out that the increasing challenges are causing many young people to lose confidence in the future.
He said that hopes for improved conditions had been dashed, adding that conditions had worsened since he took office. He explained that the suffering is no longer limited to military checkpoints, the difficulty of reaching and working in Jerusalem, or the loss of job opportunities. Rather, it has worsened with the spread of more than 900 checkpoints within the West Bank, which greatly prolongs the daily movement time of residents.
The bishop spoke about his personal experience as an example of the difficulties faced by Palestinians, explaining that despite his birth in Jerusalem, he only carries a Palestinian identity.
He said that his family members do not obtain residence permits in Jerusalem, which prevents them from living with him there, considering that these policies leave profound effects on the lives and stability of Palestinian families.
Haddad believed that the Christian community faces the risk of losing entire generations due to immigration and the decline in opportunities for a normal life, calling on churches in Germany to move from the stage of statements and appeals to more effective practical steps.
Open Questions
- What practical steps will the German churches take in response to the Bishop’s invitation?
- How many families left Bethlehem specifically during the recent period?
- What measures are available to alleviate the suffering of the population due to military checkpoints?
