Incidents of anti-Christian bigotry in Israel increased in 2024, according to a recently released report.
There were 111 attacks against Christians that the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue included in its annual report, titled “Attacks on Christians in Israel and East Jerusalem” and published last Thursday.
The Rossing Center is an interreligious organization based in Jerusalem, which works to improve relationships between Christians, Jews and Muslims.
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Members of the group presented the findings of the report and a December 2024 survey during a Thursday briefing at The Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center in Jerusalem, the Catholic News Agency reported on Saturday.
Out of the 111 cases documented in the 2024 annual report, 46 consisted of physical attacks, which ranged from things like spitting, pepper spraying or hitting. Thirty-five of the reported incidents consisted of attacks against church properties, which included acts of graffiti, arson or damage to statues.
The report also documented 14 cases involving the defacement of public signs, 13 cases of harassment and three reported violations of religious belief, which included requests to remove religious symbols or “limitations in freedom of movement to attend religious services.”
“The most common form of physical harassment is spitting—a long-standing issue that has escalated from subtle incidents to openly aggressive acts,” the 2024 annual report stated. “Clergy are now regularly harassed in public spaces, especially, but not exclusively, in areas such as Jerusalem’s Old City.”
According to the report, most of the perpetrators belong to the ultra-Orthodox and national-religious communities. Most of the victims targeted are clergy who are easily identifiable as Christians due to their clothing, which often features religious symbols.
One of the developments highlighted in the 2024 report included a growing willingness among the victims over the past year to report incidents to the authorities. The report noted that this indicates “a positive trend toward increased cooperation and trust.”
As the Central Bureau of Statistics reported on Dec. 22, 2024, approximately 180,300 Christians live in Israel, making up 1.8% of the country’s population. Almost 80% of the Christians in Israel are Arab Christians, and they make up 6.9% of the total Arab population of Israel.
The Rossing Center’s annual report also cited a December 2024 survey commissioned by the organization that highlighted the tense relationship between Christians and Jewish Israelis. Nearly 48% of Christian respondents under 30 said that they are considering leaving the region.
The survey polled 300 individuals, 34% of whom identified as Arab Christian and 23% identified as Israeli Christian. Another 13% of participants identified as Palestinian Christian, 11% as Arab, 9% as Palestinian and 7% as Christian.
Regarding their feelings about their place in Israeli society, 30.8% of Christians said that they felt accepted, while 34% replied that they did not. The feelings of nonacceptance were highest in the 18 to 29 age group, according to the survey.
Only one in ten respondents said that they experienced some form of harassment from them. A majority of participants (58.5%) also said that they felt comfortable wearing Christian religious symbols in mixed or predominantly Israeli-Jewish areas, but the comfort level was lower in East Jerusalem (42%).
In the conclusion of its 2024 report, the Rossing Center provided several recommendations for authorities and Israeli leadership, including the improvement of the curricula about Christianity in the public education system.
The center speculated that a lack of awareness of Christians in Israel is one of the reasons why many Israelis are unaware of the attacks against them.
“Whether due to indifference or insufficient knowledge, many Israelis do not respond or condemn these incidents,” the report stated. “To foster delegitimization of these attacks and encourage widespread condemnation, it is crucial to address the issue through educational initiatives.”
“This involves promoting exposure, providing education, facilitating access to knowledge, and incorporating information about Christians in Israel into the school curriculum,” the document continued. “These efforts collectively contribute to increased awareness and a proactive approach to tackling the problem.”
In its 2023 annual report, the center documented 32 attacks on church properties in 2023, seven violent attacks on Christians, 11 cases of verbal harassment, one incident of cemetery desecration, and 30 cases of spitting on or toward clergy and pilgrims.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
