Christians continue to leave Jerusalem amid ongoing instability
The number of Christians in Jerusalem continues to dwindle amid ongoing political instability and deteriorating economic conditions, prompting local churches and clergy to sound the alarm.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The number of Christians in Jerusalem is steadily declining due to the political instability and the deterioration of the economy, and they now make up less than 1% of the city’s population.
Four years after leaving Jerusalem for Chicago in the United States, Clara Nasrallah, 27, finds it very difficult to return to her homeland today, especially after she became a mother.
Clara was born and raised in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, and she studied business administration at Bethlehem University. In 2018, she married a man who lived in the US and moved there with him.
She told Al-Monitor, “Before marriage, I was against the idea of migration, and I was always wondering why people emigrate. I had a deep attachment to Jerusalem, but marriage was a turning point for me.”
