OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Patriarchs and heads of churches in Palestine have strongly rejected the phenomenon of “Christian Zionism” and its promotion, asserting that it serves only the interests of the Israeli occupation and poses a serious threat to the Christian presence in the Holy Land.
In a press statement issued Sunday, the patriarchs and church leaders stressed that representation of Christians in Palestine and the Holy Land is an exclusive ecclesiastical responsibility, entrusted solely to the historic churches.
They warned against individuals and initiatives claiming to represent Christianity outside official church structures, noting that such actions mislead public opinion, harm community unity, and serve political agendas that undermine the Christian presence in Jerusalem and the wider region.
The statement emphasized that the pastoral care of Christians in the Holy Land “is entrusted to the apostolic churches, which have faithfully carried this sacred mission for centuries.” It condemned recent activities by local individuals promoting harmful ideologies such as Christian Zionism, which, they said, mislead the public, sow division, and harm the unity of the faithful.
The patriarchs noted that these individuals have received support and welcome from political actors within and outside Israel, who aim to impose political agendas detrimental to Christian communities in the Holy Land and the broader Middle East.
The churches of Jerusalem expressed “deep concern” over the official and international support given to these individuals, describing such actions as interference in the internal affairs of the churches and a dismissal of the pastoral authority of the church leaders in Occupied Jerusalem.
The statement affirmed that claims of having authority or representation outside the ecclesiastical framework “damage the unity of believers and burden the pastoral mission of the historic churches in the land where Jesus Christ lived, taught, suffered, and rose from the dead.”
The patriarchs and heads of churches concluded by affirming that they alone are authorized to represent the churches and their communities on matters relating to religious, social, and pastoral life in the Holy Land.
This comes after what Israeli media described as the largest-ever Christian delegation of pro-Israel religious leaders visited the country in early December, coordinated with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
