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==Historical Background== | ==Historical Background== | ||
Christianity is one of the main religions in Israel, third by size, and is practiced by 177,000 people living in Israel (2.0% of the population) as of 2020. 77% of these followers are Arab-Christians, who are mostly adherents of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church (60% of Arab Christians). 42% of all Israeli Christians are affiliated with the Melkite Greek Church, and 30%-32% with the Orthodox Church; smaller numbers are split between Latin Rite Catholics with 13% of Christians, about 25,000 Russian Orthodox Christians (Russian Orthodox Church), about 15,000 Arameans (including 7,000 Maronites) who adhere to the Maronite and Syriac Churches, 3,000 to 10,000 adherents of Armenian Churches, 1,000 Assyrians affiliated with the Assyrian Churches, a community of around 1,000 Copts, being registered as "Arab Christians", though their Arab identity is disputed, and small branches of Protestants. | |||
Ten Christian churches are formally recognized under Israel's confessional system, for the self-regulation and state recognition of status issues, such as marriage and divorce: the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Latin Church, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Syriac Maronite Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church.[citation needed] However, the practice of religion is free, with no restrictions on the practice of other denominations. There are approximately 300 Christians who had converted from Islam according to one 2014 estimate, and most of them are part of the Roman Catholic church.[ A certain number of Israelis also practice Messianic Judaism—usually considered a syncretist form of Christianity. The number of Messianic Jews in Israel is estimated at around 20,000. They are mostly classified "without religious affiliation" rather than Jewish or Christian. | |||
Israeli Christians are historically bound with neighbouring Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian Christians. Christian Arabs are one of the most educated groups in Israel. Maariv newspaper has described the Christian Arabs sector as "the most successful in the education system", since Christian Arabs fared the best in terms of education in comparison to any other group receiving an education in Israel. | |||
There has been a small Protestant community in Israel since the foundation of the state in 1948, who are either Christian Arabs who had changed their religious affiliation to Protestant teachings or European residents moving to the area. | |||
The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East is a province of the Anglican Communion. | |||
<ref> Wikipedia contributors, "Christianity in Israel", in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,'' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Israel, accessed 11 April 2020. </ref><br> | |||
==Information Recorded in the Records== | ==Information Recorded in the Records== | ||