Christians flee from the birthplace of Jesus

Palestinian police stand guard atop Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity

In Bethlehem, Palestinian Christians Are Suffering -Daniel Schwammenthal

Yussuf Khoury, 23, a Palestinian Christian from Gaza, fled his birthplace just two years ago. He wasn't running away from Israelis, but from his Palestinian brethren.

"Muslims tied to Hamas tried to take me twice," says Khoury, and he didn't want to find out what they'd do to him if they ever kidnapped him.

In 2007, one year after the Hamas takeover, the owner of Gaza's only Christian bookstore was abducted and murdered. Christian shops and schools have been firebombed. Little wonder that most of Khoury's Christian friends have also left Gaza.

Khoury, now a student at Bethlehem Bible College in the West Bank, tells me that Muslims often stand in front of the gate of the college and read from the Quran to intimidate Christian students. Other Muslims like to roll out their prayer rugs right in Manger Square.
(Wall Street Journal)


Bethlehem's Exodus: Christians Flee Muslim Pressure -Benny Avni

Bethlehem is fast losing its last few year-round Christian residents as rising Islamism pushes non-Muslims away.

There are frequent attacks on Christian cemeteries and churches; Christian-owned businesses are often defaced - and government jobs have grown scarce for non-Muslims.
(New York Post)
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