Israel: Nearly Half of Christians Under 30 Want to Leave

One in three Christians in Israel wants to emigrate (nearly 50% of those under 30), in a context of escalating attacks against the minority by Jewish extremist groups or settler-linked movements. There is also a widespread perception (nearly 40%) of discrimination by state agents. 

The growing desire to emigrate affects much of the Middle East, including the Holy Sepulcher communities. A "significant proportion" of respondents (36%) say they are "considering" the prospect of leaving their homeland; this desire is less widespread in East Jerusalem (16%), but affects nearly half of Haifa residents (48%).

Among the factors most influencing this decision are security (44%) and the sociopolitical situation (33%). Geographically, in East Jerusalem, sociopolitical concerns dominate (81%), while security is a minor factor (19%). In central Israel, sociopolitical concerns rise to 45%, while those related to security reach 27%.

Family (52%) and religious ties to the land (24%) are decisive factors in the decision to stay, as is the challenge of "starting over in another country." Furthermore, “the issue of migration is accompanied by the low birth rate among Christians, who have the lowest birth rate of all the ethnic-religious communities in the Holy Land,” which leads Christians to leave the country.

Moreover, “Christian schools, which are among the best, guarantee an excellent education, which facilitates the decision to leave.” Finally, Christians "feel part of the world and think," the report concludes, "that it is easier to integrate into the West, and this could perhaps encourage migration, but this remains a supposition that could become the subject of future study."

Attacks against Christians increased in 2024, with 111 confirmed incidents compared to 89 in 2023, including 46 physical attacks, 35 against church property, and 13 cases of harassment. Most of the attackers appear to belong to the ultra-Orthodox and religious nationalist communities; the victims are members of the clergy or people wearing visible Christian symbols.

"The numbers," emphasizes Hana Bendcowsky, program director of the Rossing Center, "are only the tip of the iceberg. Compared to the previous year, there has been growth." One factor is the political situation: where extremism and the polarization of society lead to less interest in minorities, combined with greater aggression."

According to the latest figures published by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, the total population as of December 31, 2024, is estimated at 10.027 million. Of these, 7.707 million (76.9%) are Jewish, 2.104 million (21%) are Arab, and 216,000 (2.1%) are classified as others, including foreign residents. The country has 180,300 Christians (1.8% of the population).

"On the one hand, there is more fear of reacting to the violence due to less coverage of incidents against Christians, which the leaders of the Jewish state rarely comment on," emphasizes Hana Bendcowsky. “Moreover, the perpetrators of the attacks mostly come from an extremist religious background."

The most frequent cases of violence involve spitting and threats against Christians, including during religious ceremonies or pilgrimages, while attacks are primarily directed at foreigners or those wearing characteristic symbols of the faith, such as crosses.

"It is essential," the study states, "to treat episodes of aggression with the utmost seriousness, to issue condemnations and to ensure that the aggressors are brought to justice." As for relations with the authorities, explains Hana Bendcowsky, the Church reports "a lack of dialogue or poor understanding of needs: there is dialogue at the base, but little listening."