WEST BANK AND GAZA
Christian communities in the West Bank and Gaza have been declining for several decades because of Israeli occupation, conflict, economic decline and low birth rates.
The World Christian Database says they accounted for 5.3% of the population in 1970 and have dropped to less than half that now.
Some Christian leaders also cite the rise of radical Islam in the area as a growing pressure on Christian communities.
Christians are concentrated in and around the towns of Bethlehem and Ramallah.
A pastor in Gaza City estimates there are a mere 2,000 Christians among the Gaza Strip's 1.3 million inhabitants.
The two largest Churches are Greek Orthodox and Catholic, although the Assyrian, Armenian Orthodox and Syrian Orthodox Churches, as well as many Protestant denominations, are also represented.
Christian-Muslim relationships are largely peaceful and Christians have reached senior positions in the Palestinian Authority, although some Palestinian Christians complain of harassment and discrimination.
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