Palestine is comprised of two separate parts: the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) controls the main towns and scattered enclaves. Jewish settler enclaves and Israeli military authorities control the rest. Palestinians have been defined by the loss of most of their land in 1948 and the conquest of the remainder by Israel in 1967. International efforts to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians have been futile.

The PNA was appointed as an administrative body in both the West Bank and Gaza. While the PNA has been allowed to extend its jurisdiction to increasingly more towns and rural areas, Israel’s presence remains. After winning a large majority in the Palestinian Parliament in 2007 and defeating rival Palestinian party Fatah in a series of violent clashes, Hamas now governs the Gaza portion of the Palestinian Territories.

Israeli occupation and Islamist persecution are squeezing out the dwindling Christian minority. Today, 87.7 percent of the population is Muslim, 8.5 percent is Jewish, and 1.61 percent is Christian. Palestinian Christians find themselves attacked or betrayed from all sides. Israel regards them as Arab Palestinians, while extremist Muslims view them as Western collaborators. Their numbers in Palestine itself have declined, largely due to emigration.

Palestinian exiles make up 61 percent of all Palestinians. While Israel’s harshness toward them was not admirable, neighbouring Arab lands were grudging and unhappy hosts. Palestinians in exile have mostly lived for generations in refugee camps (breeding grounds for extremism) and still face the spectre of poverty and uncertainty. Their possible return to the Holy Land remains a hugely divisive issue, since sheer numbers would threaten to swamp Israel’s population.

Prayer Requests

• Pray not only for the peace of the land, but also for both Jewish Israelis and Palestinian Arabs to meet the Prince of Peace, as it is through Him alone that any meaningful reconciliation will come.
• Pray Palestinian Christians who remain will stay strong in both their Christian faith and in their commitment to live out the gospel in very difficult conditions.