Palestinian Church Leader Urges Global Christian Leaders to Act Over Attacks on Communities in West Bank Country: Palestine Category: Middle East | Human Rights | Religious Freedom Publication Date: November 8, 2026 A senior Palestinian church affairs official has called on Christian leaders worldwide to take concrete action over reported attacks, land confiscations and restrictions affecting Palestinian Christian communities across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Ramzi Khouri, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee and head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, made the appeal in a letter addressed to international church leaders. Concerns Over Attacks and Displacement According to Khouri's letter, Palestinian Christians in communities including Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, Taybeh, Birzeit and Ein Arik are facing increasing pressure from settlement expansion, reported settler violence and economic difficulties. The letter cited figures indicating that more than 200 Palestinian Christian families had left their communities since 2023. It also reported that more than 90 residents had left Taybeh during the same period. These figures were presented by the committee and have not been independently verified. Concerns in Jerusalem Khouri also raised concerns about reported harassment targeting Christian clergy, religious sisters and church institutions in Jerusalem's Old City. According to figures cited in his letter, more than 100 anti-Christian incidents were recorded in and around the Old City during the first half of 2026. The reported incidents included verbal abuse, threats, vandalism and harassment targeting religious personnel and sites. Shared Concerns for Muslims and Christians The Palestinian official also highlighted restrictions affecting access to religious sites for both Muslim and Christian communities. He argued that protecting religious freedom and the historic religious character of Jerusalem should be a shared concern across faith communities. Appeal for International Action Khouri urged international church leaders to visit Palestine, hear directly from local communities, raise concerns publicly and support efforts to protect religious institutions and civilians. He also called for international accountability over reported violations and restrictions. The appeal highlights the interconnected challenges facing Palestinian communities of different faiths amid continuing political tensions, displacement and restrictions on movement. Islam Global News – Middle East Desk Verification Note: The allegations and statistical figures in this report are attributed to Ramzi Khouri and the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs. They should not be interpreted as independently established findings. The Israeli government's response was not included in the cited report.