Christian persecution in the Holy Land: Over 50 documented attacks in just three months.
We live in an age of great advances: technology is transforming our lives, cultural exchanges are multiplying, and political participation is diversifying on a global scale. Yet, in the midst of so much progress, it is profoundly bitter to acknowledge that religious persecution not only persists but is intensifying—even in the land that witnessed the birth of the Redeemer.
This is not a matter of rumors, exaggerations, or “antisemitic narratives,” as some fanatics or the uninformed might dismissively claim. These are documented, consistent, and increasingly alarming facts that affect our Christian brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. Physical assaults, insults, desecrations, and acts of vandalism against churches and clergy are not isolated incidents but symptoms of systematic hostility.
What is most striking is that this denunciation does not come from a Catholic organization or an ecclesial voice, but from a prominent Jewish scholar: Yisca Harani, a respected figure in the field of interreligious dialogue, recognized for her rigor and courage. Harani does not hesitate to speak out against what is, objectively, wrong. In 2023, she founded the Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC), an independent organization dedicated to collecting verifiable data on attacks against religious minorities in Israel, especially in Jerusalem.
In a statement to AsiaNews on July 10, 2025, Harani was clear: “Ninety percent of these acts would go unnoticed without our work. We are Jewish Israeli citizens who monitor and report these infractions to the police.” Thanks to her efforts, the RFDC has documented more than 50 incidents that occurred between April and June of this year, detailed in its most recent report, titled “Incidents Against Christians in Israel.”
Among the reported cases, spitting stands out (78%), followed by verbal insults (8%), acts of vandalism (4%), and desecration of holy sites. The main victims are Armenian, Franciscan, Orthodox, and Catholic clergy, but also Christian laypeople who have lived in Jerusalem for generations. What some may dismiss as mere street-level hostility is, for Christians in the region, a violence that threatens their right to exist and to freely practice their faith in the most sacred city in Christianity.
These attacks, even in emblematic places like the Via Dolorosa or Jaffa Gate, are not accidental. They are acts charged with symbolism and hatred, driven by a nationalist ideology with an ethno-religious bent that absolutizes political or ethnic identity as the supreme value. It is a form of supremacism that, in the name of a supposed historical or spiritual purity, seeks to eliminate any presence that—uncomfortably for some—reminds them that the Messiah has already come.
Christian faith in the Holy Land is not an archaeological relic, but a living reality, embodied in communities that have withstood centuries of conflict, oppression, and marginalization. Ignoring their suffering or downplaying their pain is not only unjust—it is dangerous. Because religious freedom is not a concession of the State, but a natural right, one that precedes any human power. When a government allows, justifies, or turns a blind eye to attacks on believers, it becomes complicit in evil and betrays the principles of the common good.
This is why Yisca Harani’s voice deserves to be heard and appreciated. Her moral courage breaks the silence and exposes uncomfortable truths that many prefer not to face. Her work not only protects Christians today but also honors the dignity of all religious minorities fighting for their right to exist.
But the responsibility does not lie with a few. It is the duty of all Christians, both in the East and in the West, to open their eyes and not remain silent. This is not about revenge, but about truth and justice. To remain silent in the face of persecution is to betray not only the history of the Church but Christ Himself, who was spat upon, insulted, and crucified. As Faith teaches: whoever is not with Christ is against Him.
In these cases, silence is not prudence. It is cowardice.
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