I would like to commend Austen Ivereigh for raising our consciousness of the very difficult situation of the Palestinian Christians, whose living witness to the events of salvation are so vital for us all.  I think, however, that a bit more research into the history of the area would have revealed to him that the causes of the plight of the Christians are much more complex than simply "the Wall."  The Christian population throughout the Middle East, including Bethlehem, has been shrinking for many years, beginning long before the Wall.  Indeed, the only place in the Middle East where the Christian population is not shrinking, but actually growing, is within the accepted borders of the State of Israel. Palestinian Christians are a tiny minority caught in the middle of a larger struggle between Jews and Muslims.  To understand their situation, and therefore to be able to figure out viable ways of helping them, one needs to understand the larger picture and not simply focus on one facet of its complexities.

Dr. Eugene J. Fisher
Great Falls, Virginia
Dr. Fisher is the Former Associate Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)