Betlehem

Betlehem var den sjätte staden på västbanken som de palestinska myndigheterna fick kontroll över den 22 december 1995.
År 1948 var 85 % av befolkningen i Betlehem kristna.1995 fanns det i staden 45.000 invånare varav ca 20.000 var kristna. Idag finns det bara omkring 7.500 kristna kvar i staden.
Det finns många orsaker till att de kristna araberna i Betlehem flyttar bort men en av huvudorsakerna är att den kristna minoriteten känner sig otrygg i den allt starkare muslimska omgivningen.
This Week In History: Bethlehem changes hands
" The Jerusalem Post's Palestinian affairs reporter Khaled Abu Toameh wrote on the Gatestone Institute website in 2009 that, while Israeli security measures have indeed made living conditions more difficult for both Christians and Muslims, "to say that these measures are the main and sole reason for the Christian exodus from the Holy Land is misleading."
Toameh argued that the root to Christian emigration is a combination of factors, including Muslim intimidation and land theft, discrimination in public sector employment, abuse, and economic hardships. He identified a key problem as being that many Palestinian Christian leaders feel insecure and intimidated by their Muslim neighbors, but "refuse to the see the reality as it is" and place the blame squarely on Israel when they speak on the record."