Laity Committee in the Holy Land
Tel: 054 779 7719 -050 5545 179
Fax: +972 2 6271574
P.O.Box: 19055
Jerusalem
Hundreds of Jerusalem Christians are
loosing residency rights in their City due
to policies of the Israeli Ministry of Interior.
The policy that aims to reduce the number
of non-Jews in the City takes its toll on
families and individuals who hold
residency permits at foreign countries.
No matter how long they travel abroad,
no matter if they were born in Jerusalem
before or after Israel occupied East
Jerusalem, they are considered visitors
in their own city.
Palestinian Christians who make today
not more than 9,000 will lose 15% of their
population as a result of this policy. While
Jews from all over the world and even
converts to Judaism are allowed to
immigrate to Israel under the Israeli
Law of Return, the indigenous
Jerusalemites are considered
temporary residents. Originally, Seven
years of being out of Jerusalem was
the deadline for losing one's right to live
in his own city. Now, only a proof of
residency in another country is enough
for Israel to consider Jerusalem as not
"the center of life" for this person or
family and thus deny them the right
of living in their home town once they
travel abroad.
In addition to this particular policy,
the Israeli authorities are still
implementing other regulations
aiming at further decreasing the
numbers of Palestinian, Christians
and Moslems, in Jerusalem. From
freezing the law of family
reunion to impossible requirements
for building in the city, to the
Separation Wall that separated
hundreds from the center of
Jerusalem. Palestinian Christians
of the city will soon lose half of their
population.
The local Churches in Jerusalem are
gravely concerned, and join
the call of their communities to
put an end to Israel's policies and
refuse any kind of exclusivity over the
City. At this stage Israel cannot be
entrusted in the fate of this Holy City
and its people. The International
and Christian Communities need to
act fast to defuse Israeli policies at
the highest level.
We want peace and justice in the
Holy Land, where followers of all
faiths will live in dignity and their
rights will be preserved. And we
believe that the international
community can help us make it
happens.
