Sunday, May 17, 2026
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened.— Ephesians 1:18
I find myself wondering if American Christians understand that Palestinian Christians, numbering about 134,000 people in the Holy Land (45,000 in the West Bank), are being robbed of their land (by an illegal occupation that has gone on for years), their religious liberties, their freedom to travel, and their freedom to build lives of dignity. Here is a link to a little history lesson. http://www.ifamericansknew.org/history/maps.html
Historically, the land of Palestine was populated by a people known as the Palestinians. Palestinians have always been religiously diverse with the Muslim majority maintaining friendly relations with their Christian, Jewish, and Druze brethren. At the turn of the 20th Century, a new Jewish nationalist ideology called Zionism was developing to create a Jewish homeland in
Palestine. During this time, increasing numbers of Jewish Europeans immigrated to Palestine, causing the Jewish population to grow from a tiny minority to 35% of the population. In 1947, the United Nations partitioned Historic Palestine, giving 55% to the Jewish population and 45% to the Palestinian population. The indigenous Palestinians rejected the division of the land on which they had lived and farmed for centuries. At the time of partition, the Jewish population owned less than 6% of Palestine. In 1948 Israel declared its independence, but chose not to name its borders.
Between the time of partition and the declaration of Israel, the newly formed Jewish state had depopulated (through massacres, expulsion orders, and fear tactics) over 400 villages and made refugees of at least 726,000 Palestinians. In 1967, Israel occupied the remaining 22% of historic Palestine: the West Bank and Gaza. Since then Israel has transferred many of its citizens to Jewish “settlements,” (colonies, which are illegal according to the fourth Geneva Convention). Today 40% of the West Bank is off-limits to Palestinians, as they are not allowed to live in Israeli settlements, drive on Israeli-only roads connecting these settlements, or even live or travel through “security zones,” surrounding the settlements. Catholics and people of other faiths are praying and working for a just peace where dignity, reconciliation, and peace prevail.
Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director
Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh, NC