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For many Christians, the Holy Land is a place of pilgrimage. Yet it is also home to ancient Christian communities who continue to live, worship and bear witness to Christ amid extraordinary hardship.

In this powerful conversation, we speak with Fr Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest of Christ the Redeemer in Taybeh, the last entirely Christian town in the West Bank. Fr Bashar gives a firsthand account of life for Palestinian Christians, the challenges facing his parish, and why he refuses to abandon hope despite increasing violence, intimidation and uncertainty.

This is a conversation about faith under pressure, the reality behind the headlines, and the determination of one Christian community to remain in the land where Christianity was born.

In this episode

The biblical and historical significance of Taybeh
Why Taybeh remains the last all-Christian town in the West Bank
Fr Bashar’s account of increasing settler violence and intimidation
How daily life has changed since 7 October
Checkpoints, restrictions and the struggle to remain on ancestral land
The impact on Christian families and the threat of emigration
Why Fr Bashar distinguishes between extremists and other Israeli settlers
His call for dialogue, justice and peace
The Christian response of forgiveness and hope in the midst of suffering
How the global Church can support Christians in the Holy Land

Throughout the interview, Fr Bashar repeatedly reminds us that the Christian story does not end with the Cross:
“The last word is not death. The last word is hope.”

Whether you agree or disagree with every perspective expressed, this conversation offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from a parish priest serving one of the oldest Christian communities in the world.
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Please remember the Christians of the Holy Land in your prayers.