Silent Minority: Palestinian Christians of the Holy Land
The plight of the indigenous Christian population in Israel and Palestinian territories is never truly taken into consideration peace talks are engaged. This is perhaps because their voice has largely been surpassed by the overwhelming numbers of their neighbors on either side of the negotiating table.
The Palestinian Christian population is the oldest in world history. Despite enduring 2000 years of conflict and persecution, this community has maintained a foothold in the region that ensured a semblance of endurance, no matter how slight. However, this ancient community faces severely low numbers due to religious and ethnic persecution as well as emigration.
Prior to the 1948 War and the 1967 Six-Day War, Palestinian Christians comprised of nearly 30% of the total Palestinian population. In 2006, there numbers have dwindled to roughly 1.4% of the population.