ECLJ and United Nations in Israel

Terrence McKeegan and Gregor Puppinck, Counsels for our European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), are in Israel and the Palestinian Territories this week at the request of the United Nations Expert on Religious Freedom, to help facilitate their fact-finding mission.

JERUSALEM ­ The ECLJ, as a non-governmental organization (NGO) accredited to the United Nations and specializing in the promotion and defense of religious freedom, was asked to assist the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief in the Holy Land, Asma Jahangir of Pakistan, as she examines the situation of religious freedom and persecution in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Ms. Jahangir is an independent expert elected by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor religious freedom around the world.  

For the past several decades, Christian Palestinians have experienced tremendous fear, persecution, and a resulting mass exodus due to the rising Islamism of the region, especially in the Gaza Strip and other areas controlled by Hamas.  The Christian population in the Palestinian territories has declined to only about 1 percent of the population.  Formerly predominantly Christian cities like Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Ramallah now find Christians in the dwindling minority, with steady streams of immigrants fleeing to the West.  Because of their small numbers, most Christians in the Palestinian Territories are now treated as dhimmi, or second­-class citizens.

Historically at the United Nations and on the international stage, the dire situation of Christians in the Middle East has been ignored amid discussions of the conflict, even though a strong argument can be made that they have suffered the worst discrimination and persecution.  By participating in this mission, it is our goal to ensure that the plight of Christians in the Holy Land, and particularly the persecution of Christians in the Palestinian Territories, is properly examined and taken into account in the final report made by the Special Rapporteur to the UN.  From our experience, the remnant of the Christian presence in the Palestinian Territories can only be guaranteed by the presence of outside monitors and through pressure by the international community.

In preparation for this mission, the ECLJ and ACLJ were asked to prepare a report on what is seen as some of the most critical issues for religious freedom in the Holy Land.  In addition, the ECLJ team arranged a number of critical meetings between Christian leaders and the NGOs with the UN team in order to give the UN team an opportunity to hear firsthand accounts of the reality of the discrimination and persecution experienced by Christians.  Without our involvement, these meetings between the UN and Christian leaders would not have occurred.

The ECLJ team is also conducting meetings and interviews with Christians leaders, NGOs, and scholars, in order to prepare a report based on the findings.  We will keep you updated on some of these important meetings, including amazing encounters with converted Muslims.