Palestine
The Palestine Authority
Asia
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 6,243 sq km6,243 sq km comprising two separate parts the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Palestine Authority controls the main towns and scattered enclaves. Jewish settler enclaves and Israeli military authorities control the rest.
Population: 4,409,392 Annual Growth: 3.23%
Capital: Jerusalem (claimed); Ramallah (administrative)
Urbanites: 72.1%
HDI Rank: 110 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 20 (40% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language:Arabic Languages: 6 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Muslim| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 70,991 | 1.61 | 0.2 |
| Evangelicals | 4,116 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Muslim | 3,866,596 | 87.69 |
Challenges for Prayer
Pray for God’s purposes to be fulfilled in the following areas:a) A just settlement of the land issue and the future of both Jewish settlements in the Palestinian areas and Palestinians in Israel itself. Both sides feel strong legitimate claims to the land, but their respective national aspirations are mutually exclusive.
b) The improvement of living conditions. Estimates are that 70% of Gaza lives in deep poverty and 80% are dependent upon external aid. Widespread unemployment and Israel’s imposition of economic controls prevent the majority from working their way out of poverty.
c) A fair apportionment of the water resources. Palestine has access to only 17% of the available water resources, with the remainder used by settlers, by Israel or sold back to Palestine. Only 28% of Gaza has regular access to clean water.
d) The political leadership of Palestine and Israel. The Palestinian National Authority is an elected quasi-government which all know has no real power to govern. Pray for a means by which legitimate and effective leadership might govern Palestine.
e) The future of Jerusalem,claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians, each as their exclusive capital.
Palestinian Christians find themselves attacked or betrayed from all sides. They are regarded as Arab Palestinians by Israel and as Western collaborators by extremist Muslims, and they are generally ignored or abandoned by the global Church. Yet they trace their roots back to pre-Islamic times. Their numbers in Palestine itself have declined at an accelerating rate, largely due to emigration. The pull to leave is strong, with a vastly greater quality of life available elsewhere, and with increasing pressures from Israel on one side and Islamists on the other. Pray that those who remain might continue to stay strong in both their Christian faith and in their commitment to live out the gospel in very difficult conditions. Pray that they might also know God’s protection.
For an additional 3 Challenges for Prayer see Operation Worldbook, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
