Palestinian People: Faith And Cultural Identity

Palestinians are an Arab ethnonational group native to the region of Palestine. The majority of Palestinians are Muslim, with 98% of Palestinians identifying as Sunni Muslims. Palestinian Muslims have a strong connection to the region, with many continuing to refer to the area of present-day Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories as the Holy Land. Jerusalem is a very holy city for Palestinians, as well as Jews and Christians, and is home to two important Islamic sites: the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

Palestinian Christians are a religious community of the Palestinian people, consisting of those who identify as Christians, including those who are cultural Christians in addition to those who actively adhere to Christianity. They are a religious minority within the State of Palestine and within Israel, as well as within the Palestinian diaspora. Applying a broader definition, the term was applied to an estimated 500,000 people globally in the year 2000. Most Palestinian Christians nowadays see themselves as culturally and linguistically Arab Christians with ancestors dating back to the first followers of Christ.

Christian Arabs in Palestine see themselves as Arab nationalistically and, as of the beginning of the 20th century, they shared many of the same customs as their Muslim neighbours. In some respects, this was a consequence of Christians adopting what were essentially Islamic practices, many of which were derived from Sharia law. In other cases, it was more the case that the customs shared by both Muslims and Christians derived from neither faith but rather were a result of a process of syncretization, whereby what had once been pagan practices were later redefined as Christian and subsequently adopted by Muslims.

The majority of Palestinians are Sunni Muslims

Palestinians are an Arab ethnonational group native to the region of Palestine. In 1919, Palestinian Muslims and Palestinian Christians constituted 90% of the population of Palestine, just before the third wave of Jewish immigration and the setting up of British Mandatory Palestine after World War I.

Islam was introduced to the region as early as the 7th century, and many Palestinians continue to refer to the area of present-day Israel and the currently occupied Palestinian Territories as the "Holy Land", due to the deep historical ties the land shares with Islamic history. Jerusalem is a very holy city held sacred to Palestinians, Jews, and Christians worldwide. The city is home to two important Islamic sites: the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

According to an Israeli identification card record, 98% of Palestinians identify as Sunni Muslims. The Palestinian National Charter, as amended by the PLO's Palestinian National Council in July 1968, defined "Palestinians" as "those Arab nationals who, until 1947, normally resided in Palestine regardless of whether they were evicted from it or stayed there."

The Palestinian population who live abroad, known as the Palestinian diaspora, are more than half stateless, lacking legal citizenship in any country. The majority of Palestinians are Sunni Muslims, with small Shia and Ahmadi Muslim communities.

Palestinians who live or work in Israel generally can also speak Modern Hebrew, as do some who live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Palestinian society was quite secular before the 1960s and '70s. However, over the latter half of the 20th century, decreasing hope for independence among Palestinians led many to turn towards political Islam as a potential means for stronger leadership against Israeli occupation. Today, Gaza is governed by Hamas, an Islamic militant group and political party that subscribes to moderate Islamism.

Jerusalem is a holy city for Palestinians, Jews, Muslims and Christians

The majority of Palestinians are Muslim, with 98% of Palestinians in the Palestinian Territories identifying as Sunni Muslims. Palestinian Muslims, like Muslims around the world, hold Jerusalem as a holy city. This is because of its association with the Prophet Muhammad, who is believed to have ascended to heaven from the city after being transported there from Mecca during his Night Journey. The Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, two important Islamic sites, are located in Jerusalem and are a popular pilgrimage destination for Muslims.

Jerusalem is also a holy city for Jews. It has been the holiest city in Judaism since the 10th century BC and is considered the spiritual land of the Jewish people. It is the place where Abraham, the first Patriarch of Judaism, nearly sacrificed his son Isaac to God. It is also where Abraham's grandson Jacob dreamed of a ladder that went up to heaven. King David, the second king of the Israelite monarchy, established Jerusalem as the capital city. His son, King Solomon, built the first temple in Jerusalem, where the Ark of the Covenant is believed to have been kept.

Christians also consider Jerusalem a holy city. This is mainly because of its significance in the life of Jesus. Jerusalem is the place where Jesus was brought as a child to be presented at the Temple and to attend festivals. It is also where he preached and healed, where he had his Last Supper, and where he was crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended. Jerusalem is generally considered the cradle of Christianity.

The city of Jerusalem is sacred to many religious traditions, including the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which all consider it a holy city.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a religious dimension

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is driven by several factors: ethnic, national, historical, and religious. While the conflict is not fundamentally a religious one, religion plays a complex role in it and is often central to how the conflict is understood by those involved.

Religious Factors

Several religious factors pertinent to Islam and Judaism are key to the conflict. These include the sanctity of holy sites and the apocalyptic narratives of both religions, which are detrimental to any potential for lasting peace between the two sides.

Religious Extremism

On the Israeli side, extreme religious Zionists increasingly see themselves as the guardians of the Jewish state and are very stringent when it comes to any concessions to Arabs. They are critical of other branches of Zionism that downplay the religious component of Zionism. Many settlers in the West Bank are there because of their religious-political convictions and justify this through interpretations of Judaism.

On the Palestinian side, Islamist groups in Palestine and elsewhere in the Islamic world advocate for the necessity of liberating the “holy” territories and sites for religious reasons. They preach violence and hatred against Israel and the Jewish people. Terrorist groups like Hamas call for violence against Israel in the name of Islam, without distinction between civilian and military targets.

Religious Rumours

Religion-based rumours propagated by extremists in the media and on social media about the hidden religious agendas of the other side exacerbate existing tensions. For example, rumours about a “Jewish Plan” to destroy the al Aqsa mosque and build a Jewish temple on its remnants, and rumours on the Muslim side that Muslims hold the annihilation of Jews at the core of their belief.

Socio-Economic Conditions

Worsening socio-economic conditions in the Arab and Islamic world contribute to the growth of religious radicalism, pushing more youth towards fanaticism and religion-inspired politics. The Arab Spring also posed a threat to Arab-Israeli peace, as stable regimes were challenged by extreme political views.

Holy Sites

The issue of control over Jerusalem is central to the conflict, and the city is considered holy by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. It has been attacked fifty-two times, captured and recaptured forty-four times, besieged twenty-three times, and destroyed twice. It has been ruled by many different groups, and its ownership is highly contested due to the presence of holy sites for all three Abrahamic religions.

In Jewish and Biblical history, Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Israel during the reign of King David. It is also home to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall, both highly sanctified sites in Judaism.

In Islamic history, Jerusalem was the first Qiblah (the direction Muslims face during prayer). It is also the place where the Prophet Muhammad’s Isra’ and Mi'raj (ascension to heaven) ensued, according to the Qur’an. Thus, the sanctity of Jerusalem resonates among many Muslims around the world, not just Palestinians.

West Bank Settlements

The issue of West Bank settlements also has a religious aspect. For some orthodox Jews, settling the West Bank is about the physical restoration of the biblical land of Israel before the return of the Messiah. On the other hand, according to fundamentalist schools of Islam, at the end of days, the whole land of Israel and Palestine should be under Islamic rule.

Historical Consequences

Since the 1948 war, some Jewish extremist groups have justified their contribution to the conflict as part of a divinely promised return to the holy land of Israel. Similarly, religious extremist groups on the Palestinian side have justified their involvement in the conflict as an eschatological event related to the Day of Judgment.

Regional Interference

Iran has been one of the fiercest opponents of Israel since the Islamic revolution in 1979. Its radical regime calls openly for the destruction of Israel and asserts the necessity of this quest from a theological standpoint. It finances Hezbollah and Hamas and supplies them with weapons and training.

Peace Efforts

Despite direct peacemaking between Israel and two Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan, this did not lead to people-to-people or cultural normalization. Accepting peace with Israel may be viewed as religious treachery, which goes against the beliefs of extremists and many relative moderates in Arab states.

Interest and Identity Overlap

The interests of religious extremists often overlap with other segments in Arab and Islamic societies. For example, a secular nationalist Palestinian and an extremely religious, Salafi Palestinian may share very similar views of Israel.

Systematic Abuse of Linkages

Religious extremists in the Arab and Islamic world and in Israel deliberately use ideological and functional linkages to connect to wider bases in their respective countries. They try to radicalize elements with natural tendencies toward perceived communal self-defence or with a superficial knowledge of their religions.

Possible Interventions

To curb the religious violence in this conflict, several interventions have been suggested: interfaith dialogue, remembrance of past cooperation between Jews and Muslims, and a focus on religious texts that assert positive and tolerant values. These values should also be reinforced in educational systems on both sides.

Palestinian Christians are a minority within the State of Palestine and Israel

Palestinian Christians belong to a number of Christian denominations, including Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism, among others. They are well-integrated into Palestinian society and enjoy a respected place within it, with a status in government, culture, and business that belies their tiny percentage of the population. They strongly identify as Palestinians and share the same culture and history as their Muslim counterparts.

Palestinian Christians have a long history in the region, with ancestors dating back to the first followers of Christ. They are considered indigenous people of the Holy Land and are the oldest Christian population on Earth. Despite this, many Christians worldwide are unaware of their existence, viewing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a religious conflict between Muslims and Jews rather than a struggle over land.

Palestinian Christians have not been immune to the effects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the occupation of the West Bank. They have faced restrictions on their freedom of worship and movement, with limits placed on their ability to reach holy sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. They have also endured checkpoints, travel restrictions, confiscation of land, destruction of homes, abuse, beatings, and killings.

Despite these challenges, Palestinian Christians remain steadfast in their faith and hope. They have advocated for their rights and called for justice and peace through nonviolent means, such as the Kairos Palestine Document, which has been signed by thousands of Palestinian Christians and endorsed by all the Heads and Patriarchs of the Jerusalem Churches.

The survival of the ancient Christian community in Palestine is threatened by the ongoing conflict and occupation. Many have emigrated, and those who remain face a dwindling presence in their ancestral homeland. However, they continue to play an active role in inter-faith dialogue and the struggle for liberation and self-determination.

Palestinian Christians are ethnically Arab

Palestinian Christians belong to one of several Christian denominations, including Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism, among others. They are a religious minority within the State of Palestine and within Israel, as well as within the Palestinian diaspora.

Palestinian Christians nowadays see themselves as culturally and linguistically Arab Christians with ancestors dating back to the first followers of Christ. They claim descent from Romans, Ghassanid Arabs, Byzantines, and Crusaders.

In the 1922 census of Palestine, there were approximately 73,000 Christian Palestinians: 46% Orthodox, 40% Catholic (20% Roman Catholic and 20% Eastern Catholic).

The majority (56%) of Palestinian Christians live in the Palestinian diaspora. In 2009, there were an estimated 50,000 Christians in the Palestinian territories, mostly in the West Bank, with about 3,000 in the Gaza Strip.

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