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About 180,000 Christian citizens of Israel live primarily in the Galilee, Nazareth and the Haifa region, with smaller communities in East Jerusalem and a scattering of historic villages. The largest denomination is Greek Orthodox (~30%), followed closely by Catholic in two flavors: Latin Rite and Eastern Rite Melkite (~30% combined). Then come Maronites, Armenians, Copts, Syriacs, and various Protestant groups. They are a distinctive minority: native to the Holy Land for roughly 2000 years, Arabic-speaking at home, Israeli-citizen by passport, and statistically among the best-educated communities in the country. Knowing this community is part of fluently understanding Israel.
Cultural note, Christian Israelis carry a layered identity: Israeli citizens, Palestinian Christians, Arabs by language and culture, sometimes secular, sometimes deeply religious. Easter and Christmas bring worldwide pilgrim traffic into Bethlehem (Palestinian Authority) and the Jerusalem Old City, and the calendar splits between Western and Eastern Christian dates. Mar Saba in the Judean Desert, the monasteries on Mount Tabor, and the Greek Orthodox church at Capernaum remain active sites of prayer and pilgrimage. Christian Israelis are often found in tourism, healthcare, and education, historically over-represented in medicine and pharmacy.
Major Christian Denominations
Major Christian Communities & Locations
Christian Feast Days
Christian Israeli Vocabulary
Coexistence with Jewish & Muslim Israelis
A Christmas Eve in Nazareth
Christmas Eve in Israel's largest Christian-majority city. The bells ring across the basilica.