Christians Rooted in the West Bank

Christians Rooted in the West Bank
Atta Jaber’s family has farmed the Baqa'a Valley in the illegally occupied West Bank for hundreds of years, but since Israel’s 1967 occupation, their land has been confiscated piecemeal by Israeli settlers, and their homes and ancient farming terraces attacked and demolished.

“The sound of the bulldozer is the music of the occupation,” says Atta - yet he preaches love and peace.

Uniquely spanning 25 years in a farmer’s struggle to stay steadfast, this film is a moving testimony to the depth of one man’s humanity in the face of intensifying settler violence and intimidation. Rooted in the West Bank is a documentary by Bruno Sorrentino and Uri Fruchtmann.

Zionists are killing Christians. They are killing anyone who is not like them.

There were no Christians living in Palestine during the time of Jesus but after the cross Christians began to live in Palestine and Christians even became a majority in Palestine.

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After the fall of Rome, Palestine was controlled by a succession of empires and dynasties, undergoing periods of Byzantine, Arab, Crusader, Mamluk, and Ottoman rule.
Byzantine Empire (approx. 395–636 CE)
Continuation of Roman rule: When the Roman Empire split, Palestine remained under the control of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire.

Christianization: The Byzantines centered on Orthodox Christianity, and Palestine became a significant hub of Christian pilgrimage, with many new churches and monasteries constructed in Jerusalem and across the region.

Brief Sassanian interruption: In 614, the Sassanid (Persian) Empire captured Palestine but lost it back to the Byzantines in 628 before the start of the Muslim conquests.

Arab Caliphates (636–1099 CE)
Rashidun Caliphate: Arab Muslim forces conquered Palestine from the Byzantines between 636 and 638, following their decisive victory at the Battle of Yarmouk. This conquest established Muslim control over the region.

Umayyad and Abbasid Dynasties: The Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates subsequently ruled the region. Ramla became an important administrative center, and significant Islamic architecture, including the Dome of the Rock, was constructed in Jerusalem.

Shift to Muslim majority: During this period, the population of Palestine transitioned from being predominantly Christian to mostly Muslim and Arabic-speaking.

Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem (1099–1291 CE)

First Crusade: The First Crusade resulted in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099 and the establishment of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Christian state: The kingdom was a Christian feudal state, predominantly populated by local Levantine Christians and Muslims, along with European settlers (Franks).

Lost and regained control: Jerusalem was retaken by the Muslim Ayyubid dynasty in 1187 but later briefly regained by the Crusaders through a treaty from 1229 to 1244. The Crusader kingdom was ultimately confined to a coastal strip, with its capital in Acre.

Mamluk Sultanate (1260–1517 CE)
Battle of Ain Jalut: The Mamluks, a military caste that controlled Egypt, defeated the invading Mongols at Ain Jalut in Palestine in 1260. This victory secured their control over the region and ended the main Crusader presence.

Mamluk administration: Ruling from Cairo, the Mamluks prioritized strengthening infrastructure, including constructing mosques, schools, and postal routes.
Jerusalem continued to be a significant center of learning and pilgrimage.
Ottoman Empire (1517–1917 CE)
Ottoman conquest: The Ottoman Turks conquered Palestine in 1516, defeating the Mamluk armies. This began four centuries of almost continuous Ottoman rule.

Integration and modernization: The Ottomans integrated local elites into their administration and initiated modernization efforts in the late 19th century. The area of Palestine was divided into several administrative units, with the Sanjak of Jerusalem governed directly from Istanbul.

End of Ottoman rule: Following the Ottoman defeat in World War I, British forces entered Palestine in 1917, ending Ottoman control over the region.

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Christians have lived in the land known as Palestine since shortly after Jesus' death, and while the community was once a significant part of the population, they never became the majority and their numbers have been steadily declining for decades due to various factors, according to The GroundTruth Project and Jewish Virtual Library.

The Christian population is constantly provoked by the Zionists. The Zionists regularly spit on Christians and Muslims.

Christianity's origins in Palestine
Jesus was Jewish: Jesus and his early followers were Jewish people living in the Roman province of Judea, which is part of the region that later became known as Palestine.

Early communities: Christianity began in Judea with Jesus' Jewish disciples, who formed the first Christian communities in the region shortly after his crucifixion and resurrection.

Christian presence in Palestine
Early flourishing: After the Roman Empire's adoption of Christianity, the faith flourished in the region under the Byzantine Empire and became a center for Christian pilgrimage and monasticism by the 7th century.

Post-Arab conquest: While Christianity experienced persecution and restriction under Muslim rule, the faith continued to exist and adapt in the region.

The decline of Christian numbers
Reduced majority: While there have always been Christians in the land, they never constituted a majority of the population in the way the statement suggests.

Economic factors: The Christian presence has dwindled considerably in modern times due to economic challenges, high unemployment, and the difficulties of living in an occupied territory, notes The GroundTruth Project and Jewish Virtual Library.

Emigration: Many Christians have been forced to leave their homes and emigrate due to the instability, conflict, and restrictive conditions in the region. Because of the Zionist violence.

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