Palestinian Christian Leaders Challenge Christian Zionist Support for West Bank Settlements

Palestinian Christian leaders, notably Father Munther Isaac, director of the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice, and Father Bashar Fawadleh of Taybeh, have publicly accused American Christian-Zionist groups of financing Israeli settlement expansion that they say threatens the existence of Palestinian Christians in the occupied West Bank. In interviews with CNN and the Jerusalem Post, they urged evangelical visitors to witness daily violence, settlement growth, and the dwindling Christian population firsthand.

The Jerusalem PostCNN

Christian Zionism—a theological movement that interprets the modern State of Israel as the fulfillment of biblical prophecy—has long mobilized U.S. evangelical donors to support Israeli communities in the territories Israel refers to as Judea and Samaria. Organizations such as Christians United for Israel (CUFI) and Christian Friends of Israeli Communities (CFOIC) promote donations framed by biblical verses. The Palestinian Christian minority, estimated at roughly 50,000 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, reports increasing harassment and displacement amid settlement expansion.

The Jerusalem PostCNN

• CFOIC reports supporting 80 Israeli “communities” in the occupied West Bank.

The Jerusalem Post

• Taybeh, the last fully Christian town in the West Bank, now has about 1,200 residents after more than 90 people left in the past three years.

CNN

• Approximately 1,200 – 1,300 Christians remain in Taybeh, down from a larger pre-conflict population.

CNN

• The Holy Fire ceremony in Bethlehem occurred on April 11, 2026, underscoring the community’s ongoing religious traditions despite security pressures.

The Jerusalem Post

All figures are attributed to statements from the respective organizations or clergy.

CNN

• CUFI issued an emailed statement affirming its support for the Israeli government and declined to comment on Isaac’s accusations.

CNN

• Kimberly Troup, director of the U.S.

The Jerusalem Post

• Mike Huckabee, former U.S.

The Jerusalem Post

He describes the situation as “theology has been weaponized.” Father Bashar Fawadleh echoed these concerns, noting that settlers’ intimidation has forced many parishioners to abandon olive-grove harvests and consider leaving Taybeh altogether.

CNN

• “Given the threat of settlers over our lives these days - an actual threat against our lives as Palestinian Christians - these are Christians who are funding and supporting the major threat on our existence in the land today,” — Father Munther Isaac, the director of the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice

The Jerusalem Post

• “No one overlooks the experiences of Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land. But Evangelicals believe the Bible — ALL of it,” — Israel Mike Huckabee, himself a Baptist minister, are living in the 7th Century BCE

CNN

Isaac continues a U.S. outreach tour, speaking at evangelical institutions such as Wheaton College and promoting his book *Christ in the Rubble*. He hopes that younger evangelicals, who a recent University of Maryland poll shows are less uniformly pro-Israel than older counterparts, will “read the Bible together” with Palestinian Christians and consider the on-the-ground implications of settlement support. Father Fawadleh invites visitors to “come and see” the town’s challenges, positioning personal witness as a catalyst for change.

CNN