Christians in the Holy Land feel abandoned by American evangelicals

[TomSea]

Christians in the Holy Land feel abandoned by American evangelicals

Christians in Israel are undeniably better off than in many other parts of the Middle East. Civil war has torn apart Syria, where Christians make up around 10 percent of the population, and Coptic churches face regular attacks from Islamist extremists in Egypt.

Still, the Holy Land's native Christian communities are being depopulated, even as thousands of pilgrims from abroad flock to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and other biblical sites.

“Christians leave because their brothers [who have emigrated] have made it so much better than in this tormented land,” said Yisca Harani, an expert on Christianity and pilgrimage who points out that the trend began decades before the establishment of the state if Israel. “Statistically, they saw the advantage of moving to the West.”

Read more at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/holy-land-christians-feel-abandoned-u-s-evangelicals-n867371