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Israeli
Christians: Police indifferent to threats against us
19 Jun 2008
Author: Laity Committee in the
Holy Land
info@holylandchrist
ians.com
Tel: 054 779 7719
-050 5545 179
Fax: +972 2 6271574
P.O.Box: 19055
Jerusalem
Hundreds of Jerusalem Christians are loosing residency
rights in their City due to policies of the Israeli Ministry of Interior. The
policy that aims to reduce the number of non-Jews in the City takes its toll on
families and individuals who hold residency permits at foreign countries. No
matter how long they travel abroad, no matter if they were born in Jerusalem
before or after Israel occupied East Jerusalem, they are considered visitors in
their own city.
Palestinian Christians who make today not more than
9,000 will lose 15% of their population as a result of this policy. While Jews
from all over the world and even converts to Judaism are allowed to immigrate to
Israel under the Israeli Law of Return, the indigenous Jerusalemites are
considered temporary residents. Originally, Seven years of being out of
Jerusalem was the deadline for losing one's right to live in his own city. Now,
only a proof of residency in another country is enough for Israel to consider
Jerusalem as not "the center of life" for this person or family and thus deny
them the right of living in their home town once they travel abroad.
In
addition to this particular policy, the Israeli authorities are still
implementing other regulations aiming at further decreasing the numbers of
Palestinian, Christians and Moslems, in Jerusalem. From freezing the law of
family reunion to impossible requirements for building in the city, to the
Separation Wall that separated hundreds from the center of Jerusalem.
Palestinian Christians of the city will soon lose half of their
population.
Tel: 054 779 7719
-050 5545 179
Fax: +972 2 6271574
P.O.Box: 19055
Jerusalem
Hundreds of Jerusalem Christians are loosing residency
rights in their City due to policies of the Israeli Ministry of Interior. The
policy that aims to reduce the number of non-Jews in the City takes its toll on
families and individuals who hold residency permits at foreign countries. No
matter how long they travel abroad, no matter if they were born in Jerusalem
before or after Israel occupied East Jerusalem, they are considered visitors in
their own city.
Palestinian Christians who make today not more than
9,000 will lose 15% of their population as a result of this policy. While Jews
from all over the world and even converts to Judaism are allowed to immigrate to
Israel under the Israeli Law of Return, the indigenous Jerusalemites are
considered temporary residents. Originally, Seven years of being out of
Jerusalem was the deadline for losing one's right to live in his own city. Now,
only a proof of residency in another country is enough for Israel to consider
Jerusalem as not "the center of life" for this person or family and thus deny
them the right of living in their home town once they travel abroad.
In
addition to this particular policy, the Israeli authorities are still
implementing other regulations aiming at further decreasing the numbers of
Palestinian, Christians and Moslems, in Jerusalem. From freezing the law of
family reunion to impossible requirements for building in the city, to the
Separation Wall that separated hundreds from the center of Jerusalem.
Palestinian Christians of the city will soon lose half of their
population.