Christian Arabs Leaving Jerusalem?

Conflict in the Middle East, and in Israel in particular, is often portrayed as being between Jews and Muslims. Too often forgotten are the Christians who can be caught in the middle - and some seem to be tired of being in the middle, opting instead to leave entirely.

The Guardian reports that, according to Jordan's king Abdullah II, many Christians are leaving Jerusalem:

"Christian Arab existence in Jerusalem is being threatened because its Arab population is emigrating in view of the Israeli occupation of the holy city,'' said Abdullah II, according to the official Petra news agency. ... Christians make up 6 percent of Jordan's 5.1 million population, with the rest of the population Muslim. The royal family also is Muslim.

There doesn't seem to be any independent confirmation for this story, but it could be true - Israeli efforts to prevent Arab Muslims from dominating Jerusalem's demographics could easily be having the same effect on Arab Christians.

Read More:

• Palestine and Israel
• Recent Books on Palestine & Israel