Holy Land Christians in Public Service in Palestine

(9th international Conference Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007)
By Louis Medgyesi-Mitschang

In a session chaired by Bill Yontz, HCEF board member, Ambassador Afif Safieh, Head of the PLO Mission to the U.S., highlighted the many diverse and key roles that Christians play in public life in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
He noted that Chairman Arafat, founder of the PLO, himself advocated policies to ensure this, such as recommending that communities with sizable Christian populations have Christian mayors. Thus today major municipalities such as Bethlehem, Birzeit, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, and Ramallah have elected Christian mayors.

The ambassador cited specific examples of Christians in public service. Of the 88 members in the Palestinian legislature, 6 elected members are Christians. Many leading educational and medical institutions in the Occupied Territories are founded and led by Christians. They serve the entire Palestinian population, Christian and Muslim alike. The universities of Birzeit and Bethlehem are Christian institutions, even though the student body is only 35% Christian. The demographics at the College des Frères (Christian Brothers College) and the high school run by the Quakers are similar. Yet these schools are open to all Palestinians students regardless of religion or ethnic background. Christians have also been in the vanguard in the fields of art, music and theater. In numerous institutions supported by NGOs, Christians are in lead positions.

Ambassador Safieh noted that throughout the long, turbulent history of the Occupied Territories, the Christian community has been the unwavering champion for the cause of peace and reconciliation with Israel. During the last 40 years of the harsh Israeli military occupation and the resulting intifada, the Christian community’s advocacy of nonviolence has been severely tested. Yet it remains steadfast in its belief that peace and reconciliation are possible and in fact is desired by the majority of the Palestinian and Israeli public. Thus the Christian community with its leaders prominent in public life, occupies a unique position to the cause of peace in the Holy Land.