Palestinians are predominantly Muslim, with a minority Christian population as well. The exact breakdown of religious affiliation among Palestinians is a bit unclear, but studies and surveys have shown that somewhere between 80-90% identify as Sunni Muslim, while about 10-20% identify as Christian.
Religious Affiliation in the Palestinian Territories
The Palestinian territories consist of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. There are an estimated 4.6 million Palestinians living in these territories. Getting exact statistics on the religious makeup of this population is difficult for a variety of reasons, including historical lack of census data. However, estimates can be made based on demographic information and national surveys.
Religious Affiliation Estimates
In the Palestinian territories:
- 80-90% are Sunni Muslim
- 10-20% are Christian
The Christian population further breaks down into several denominations:
- Greek Orthodox
- Roman Catholic
- Greek Catholic (Melkites)
- Armenian Orthodox
- Maronite Catholic
- Anglican/Episcopalian
- Lutheran
The breakdown by territory is shown in the table below:
| Territory | % Sunni Muslim | % Christian |
|---|---|---|
| Gaza Strip | 98% | 1% |
| West Bank | 75% | 25% |
| East Jerusalem | 95% | 2% |
As the table shows, Gaza has a tiny Christian minority, while Christians make up a quarter of the West Bank population. Christians are also a small minority in East Jerusalem.
Changes Over Time
The percentage of Christians in the Palestinian territories has declined over the decades of conflict with Israel. Christians represented as much as 20% of the Palestinian population prior to 1948. Many have emigrated due to political turmoil and difficult living conditions. Today Christians make up just over 1% of the population in Gaza and about 2% in East Jerusalem.
Religious Significance of Jerusalem
Both Muslims and Christians view Jerusalem as a holy city due to prophets and events that took place there according to their sacred texts and traditions. It has been at the heart of the territorial conflict in the region.
Muslims and Jerusalem
For Muslims, Jerusalem holds religious significance as the site of Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey, as well as being home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock shrines. Praying at or towards these sites is encouraged.
The city was also the first qibla (direction of prayer) before Mecca took that place. Many centuries of Muslim rule over the city further established its importance in Islam. For Palestinians, Jerusalem represents not just religious history but also their modern political and territorial ambitions.
Christians and Jerusalem
Jerusalem is central to Christianity as the place of Christ’s death and resurrection. Many key events in Christ’s life also took place in or near Jerusalem. For Palestinian Christians, living in the birthplace of their savior holds deep meaning, despite hardships.
Spots like the Church of the Nativity and Church of the Holy Sepulchre draw pilgrims from around the world but also have local religious importance. Losing access to them due to conflict has been painful for the Palestinian Christian community.
Interreligious Relations in Palestine
Despite strains between Israeli and Palestinian societies, Muslims and Christians within Palestinian territories at times find religious commonalities. This is especially true in the West Bank, where Christians make up a sizable part of Palestinian society.
Intermarriage
Marriages between Christians and Muslims in Palestinian society are relatively rare but do occur. Approval for marriages across these religious lines seems to be increasing, especially among urban and educated Palestinians committed to national identity.
While older generations largely oppose the practice, younger Palestinians show more willingness. Some studies estimate about 4,500 married couples in the Palestinian territories may identify with different religious faiths.
Collaboration
Christian and Muslim Palestinian leaders will also at times collaborate on civic action, especially related to the conflict with Israel. Calls for respecting holy sites, granting rights to worship, ending violence, or managing territories have seen rare joint statements from imams and priests over the years.
These instances reveal shared national ties binding them as Palestinians first and religious community members second in those cases. Other collaborative efforts related to cultural events, festivals, community issues also help strengthen social fabric.
Religiosity of Muslim Palestinians
Among Sunni Muslims in Palestine, religious practice and day-to-day devotion varies from highly observant conservative communities to more secular-leaning urban areas. But Palestinian Muslim identity itself and connection to sacred spaces like the Al-Aqsa Mosque unite them.
Levels of Devotion
Levels of religious devotion among Muslim Palestinians span a broad spectrum:
Conservative Muslims
Tend to strictly adhere to tenets of Islam in dress, prayer, diet, gender relations, education, and other areas. Make up a sizable portion and weld significant social influence. Concentrated more in Gaza versus the West Bank.
Moderate Muslims
Practice central tenants of Islam but take a more modern approach on some issues of lifestyle, women’s rights, secular education, and political involvement.
Secular Muslims
Do not strictly follow Islamic religious practice in daily life. Still value cultural identity tied to Islam and its historical role in Palestine. More secular views common in urban, privileged, and highly educated subgroups.
United Islamic Identity
Despite differences in conservatism, united ties around Islamic identity persist due to:
- Shared connection to holy sites and prophecy history in region
- Importance within community and family life milestones
- Generations of Islamic political and social influence in Palestinian culture
This common Muslim identity binds Palestinians and distinguishes them from Arab neighbors as well. It entangles faith and nationality.
Status of Palestinian Christians
The number of Christians living in Palestinian territories has been in steady decline for decades since 1948, as many emigrate due to political conflict and lack of economic opportunity. However, a devout Christian community still resides in Palestine, especially in the West Bank, intent on preserving their faith identity tied to the land.
Population Decline
As stated earlier, Christians made up around 20% of Palestinians before 1948. Today they number about 50,000 total, representing just over 1% in Gaza and less than 2% in East Jerusalem. The percentage is higher in the West Bank (about 25%) but declining.
Emigration Causes
Ongoing conflict and violence provide little hope of stability or prosperity, driving Christians to seek better prospects. Lack of access to holy sites due to military occupation or travel restrictions has also impacted Christian communities. Economic pressure and lack of jobs compound these issues.
Remaining Community
A steadfast Palestinian Christian community still exists, refusing to abandon their homeland and holy sites. These resolute families pass down religious heritage and taps into global church support to sustain the minority community despite increasing persecution. They offer cultural diversity, education, economic vigor and stubborn faith to Palestinian society.
Conclusion
In reviewing the data and trends, the majority religious identity among Palestinians is clearly Sunni Islam, with estimates ranging from 80-90% affiliation. Christianity makes up a small but culturally vibrant remaining share, with higher concentration and influence still evident in the West Bank where about a quarter of the Palestinian population identify as Christian.
Varying levels of devotion exist among Muslim Palestinians, with more conservative strict Islamism dominating Gaza versus moderate practices in the West Bank and secularized communities in urban centers. Differences aside, Islamic identity fuels the nationalist ambitions for most Palestinians and binds society across internal diversity.
For Palestinian Christian communities, declining numbers due to political conflict and constrained worship has led to high rates of emigration. However lingering Christian families retain deep ties to sacred sites and history in the birthplace region of their savior. Their faith and culture enrich the Palestinian tapestry despite growing persecution.
In summary, Muslim and Christian heritage mutually shape identity for modern Palestinians against the larger backdrop of territorial disputes and self-determination. Together they represent the ethnic and religious fabric of this contested land going back centuries. External and internal pressures continue to test Palestinians, but faith and tradition still anchor the population throughout their struggle. The steadfast mix of Islamic and Christian Palestinians persists as a unique emblem of regional volatility.
FAQs
What percentage of Palestinians are Muslim?
Studies estimate between 80-90% of Palestinians identify as Sunni Muslim. The vast majority adhere to some form of the Islamic faith. This includes both highly observant conservative communities as well as more moderate secular-leaning subgroups. Exact percentages are difficult to determine due to lack of census data. But without question Sunni Islam dominates Palestinian religious identity overall.
What percent of Palestinians are Christian?
Estimating the exact Christian population percentage among Palestinians is challenging. Surveys suggest about 10-20% of Palestinians identify with various Christian denominations such as Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Anglican and more. Christian numbers have declined over decades due to emigration but stronger concentrations remain evident in the Palestinian West Bank at around 25% of the population.
Why are many Palestinian Christians leaving?
Ongoing political conflict and violence in Israeli-Palestinian relations has led to economic decline and loss of access to sacred religious sites in many cases. These pressures drive many Christian Palestinians to seek more hopeful prospects by emigrating.
What is the difference between Muslims and Christians in Palestinian culture?
While Muslims make up a large majority of Palestinians, Palestinian Christians have their own distinct cultural identity, centered around sacred sites, villages with Christian heritage going back centuries, denominational traditions, and ancient pilgrimage routes. They share language, cuisine, music and national pride with Muslim Palestinians but retain a distinct faith identity.
How do Palestinian Muslims and Christians get along?
Historically interfaith relations were peaceful, with religious freedom enshrined during eras of Islamic rule. Modern political conflicts strain relations at times but many partnerships and friendships persist between faith communities as Palestinians first before religious identity. Urban educated Palestinians show more tolerance for intermarriage across faith lines as well.
Why do Palestinian Muslims care so much about Jerusalem?
As site of Muhammad’s journey to heaven and home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem carries tremendous religious significance for Muslims globally. Palestinian Muslims in particular view Jerusalem as part of their ethnic homeland illegally occupied. Sacred sites like the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque fuel their nationalist ambitions.
What makes Palestinian Christian culture unique?
Palestinian Christians share a common Arabic heritage with Muslim counterparts but carry on denominational traditions, ancient pilgrimage routes, ceremonies, and village heritage going back to early days of Christianity under the Romans. Youth groups, schools, and churches help preserve this culture abroad when emigration occurs. The identity fuses faith with love of ancestral lands.
Do Muslims or Christians have more religious freedom?
Both faiths suffer restrictions on accessing holy sites due to political conflict, military occupation policies, travel barriers, and violence. Gaza Christians face social pressure from Muslim majority. But the Palestinian Authority constitution ensures religious rights to all citizens regardless of faith identity, even if application remains inconsistent across territories under varied control.