*ARCHIVED OCTOBER 2007 // CLICK HERE FOR CURRENT DATA
Israel (click here to view a satellite map)
Israel, Middle East updated on 10 January, 2006
Population: 6,276,883
Christians: 1-2%
Dominant Religion: Judaism
Persecution Ranking: Not Ranked
Political Leader: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
Religious Freedom in Constitution: N/A, provided by law
Israel's population of about six million is very diverse. Ethnically, roughly 79% are Jewish, 20% Arab, and 1% other people groups. Consequently, church fellowships worship in many languages, including Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, Amharic (the primary language of Ethiopia) and English. Some use more than one language in a service. Christians, especially priests, are frequently harassed by the ultra-Orthodox-Jewish community.
Israel's government also has an uneasy relationship with Christian organisations. A visa policy change in 2004 excluded their professional and administrative staff from being able to acquire a religious visa. This affected many churches and Christian ministries, and one Catholic hospital was threatened with closure. Several thousand ethnically Jewish people choose to believe Jesus as the Messiah, often referred to as Messianic Believers. For some, this causes little, if any, problems. For others it can be very serious. Some who have settled in Israel risk having their citizenship revoked, leaving them stateless and extremely vulnerable, because their claim to be Jewish is undermined.
Prayer Points
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Pray for improvements in relationships between traditional churches and the Israeli government. |
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Pray that Christians harassed by some ultra-orthodox Jews will respond with wisdom, love, and courage. |
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"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6). May it become truly the city of peace that God intends it to be. |
Dear LORD Jesus, the Holy One of God, we thank You that You once walked in the land of Israel. Strengthen those who call on Your name to live in keeping with Your example. Grant them courage when harassed and the wisdom to confront injustice with wisdom, tact, and clarity. Dear Prince of Peace, strengthen all who work for true peace in this land of conflict. |
