As pressure grows on the Christian presence in Jerusalem, George Akroush, director of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s Development Office and head of the Church’s social and educational projects in the Holy Land, is warning that a series of Israeli measures affecting both land and education could reshape the city’s Christian community and threaten its geographic and social continuity.
Akroush’s comments come amid broader concerns recently voiced by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, over the consequences of Israeli land-registration measures and the nonrecognition of Palestinian academic qualifications.
In an interview with ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Akroush described a series of interconnected challenges facing Church institutions and the Christian community, especially in Jerusalem. These developments are unfolding within a complex legal and political environment in East Jerusalem, where residents and institutions face growing restrictions related to property, movement, and employment.
On the issue of land, Akroush expressed deep concern over the Israeli government’s February decision to resume settlement and registration procedures for lands that had not been formally recorded since before 1967. He said the mechanism, which is used to define and consolidate ownership, goes beyond a routine administrative step.
“This is not just an administrative procedure but a legal tool that could reclassify large areas as state lands,” he said, warning that it “opens the door to the seizure of private and Church properties, fundamentally altering the reality on the ground.”
His remarks echoed concerns raised by Pizzaballa in a recent address in which the patriarch noted that many Palestinian lands have remained unregistered since before 1967, making their legal status “complex” and heightening the risks for local communities if that status changes.
Akroush said the policy could reproduce conditions seen in Hebron, where the introduction of settler groups into Palestinian neighborhoods has led to persistent tension.
“When settlers are placed in the heart of neighborhoods, permanent points of friction emerge, affecting daily life, the local economy, and gradually fragmenting the social fabric,” he said.
Akroush added that such policies could further isolate Jerusalem from its natural ties to Bethlehem and Ramallah, with serious consequences for community cohesion and long-term continuity.
The Israeli authorities’ refusal to recognize Palestinian university degrees for teachers in Jerusalem is also “a serious challenge to the identity of educational institutions,” Akroush said, explaining that the decision leaves Christian schools facing painful choices.
“We face a reality in which schools may be compelled either to change their curricula or to lose qualified teaching staff,” he said, emphasizing that these institutions serve a mission that extends well beyond denominational boundaries.
Pizzaballa has likewise highlighted the schools crisis, noting that hundreds of Christian educators from Bethlehem are no longer able to reach their schools in Jerusalem.
“They will no longer be able to attend, and this will create not only financial hardships for their families but also challenges for the schools that cannot find Christian teachers,” the patriarch said. “These are just examples that illustrate how complicated the situation remains for all of us.”
Akroush said roughly 300 Christian institutions provide a wide range of services — including education, health care, and social support — to a significant portion of the Palestinian population.“
“These institutions are not solely for Christians; they serve everyone and are a vital part of the social fabric of the Holy Land,” he said.
Akroush noted that these developments are taking place while international attention is divided by multiple regional crises, reducing global focus on Jerusalem. Recalling the 2018 closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in protest against similar measures, he said the current challenges “take a different form, extending beyond property to include the human resources themselves.”
Regarding the education crisis, Akroush said barring 232 teachers from Bethlehem from reaching their schools in Jerusalem has directly affected 12 Christian schools.
“These teachers are the backbone of the educational process, and their sudden absence creates a gap that is difficult to fill,” he said.
He added that estimates from the patriarchate and educational institutions suggest that replacing this loss of specialized teaching experience could take at least 15 years because of the unique expertise those teachers possess.
Akroush said the fallout extends beyond education into the social and economic spheres, particularly at a time of limited job opportunities and rising unemployment.
“When a teacher loses their job without alternatives, families face difficult choices, including migration,” he said, noting that young families are especially vulnerable. He stressed that the Church in the Holy Land, as Pizzaballa has repeatedly said, “is not merely a guardian of sacred places but a living community serving people.”
“Targeting schools is targeting the future,” Akroush said, calling on the international community and Churches around the world to monitor developments closely, protect historic properties, and ensure teachers can reach their workplaces freely. He said the Church seeks only “to preserve its natural right to remain, serve, and educate in its sacred city.”
