The number of Christians in Jerusalem has not risen in about 50 years, according to the Christian Examiner.
Jerusalem’s Christians number about 7,000 compared to the Muslim
population, which make up about 75 percent of the 38,000 residents. Jews
are also a dominant religion in Jerusalem.
"If a thousand Muslims leave Jerusalem, that's one thing," said Jamal
Khader, head of the Latin Patriarchate Seminary near Bethlehem. "But if a
thousand Christians leave, you threaten the identity of Jerusalem as a
city of multiple faiths."
Many of the Christians in Jerusalem make a living by depending on
tourists who come through the area, as it is believed to be where Jesus
was buried. However, lately, with so much violence in Jerusalem and in
surrounding areas, some say tourism numbers have fallen.
"When you're in the minority, you have to go with the flow," said
Youseph Shbeita, an owner of a religious icon shop. "We just hope for
calm, always for calm."
Christians in Jerusalem say they are feeling “squeezed out” by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"Since much of the epicenter of this round of violence has been in and
around the Old City, it has increased (Christian) vulnerability,” said
Daniel Seidermann, an Israeli lawyer and activist.
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