The Holy Orthodox Order of Saint George the Great Martyr

08/22/2026

🚨 SETTLER VIOLENCE ESCALATES ACROSS THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK

Violence in the occupied West Bank is escalating at an alarming rate.

In Sa'ir, northeast of Hebron, armed Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian residents, with a Palestinian teenager killed and another man seriously wounded. Survivors reported that at least one Palestinian home was set on fire.

Elsewhere in the South Hebron Hills, a Palestinian quarry was reportedly attacked overnight, with fire severely damaging excavators, bulldozers and stone-cutting equipment — destroying machinery upon which families depend for their livelihoods.

Meanwhile, the village of Qusra has become another symbol of the growing crisis.

Palestinian-American Loui Ridi traveled from Ohio to the West Bank after his family's home became one of several Palestinian properties surrounded by settlers for more than a week.

The violence is part of a much wider and deeply troubling pattern across the West Bank.

And for us, there is another urgent concern: the future of Christianity in the Holy Land.

Ancient Christian communities are living amid this same instability. In Taybeh, one of the West Bank's most important Christian communities, Christian families and clergy have repeatedly raised concerns about settler harassment, attacks and pressure on their agricultural lands.

Christians have lived and worshipped in these lands since the earliest centuries of our faith. Their disappearance would mean losing a living Christian presence from the very land where Christianity was born.

☦️ We pray for every innocent person — Christian, Muslim and Jewish — and for an end to violence, displacement and hatred.

The Holy Orthodox Order of Saint George the Great Martyr remains committed to helping Christians of the Holy Land and Middle East preserve their faith, communities and presence in their ancestral homeland.

🙏 Please support our mission. Together, we can stand with the Christians of the Holy Land and help ensure that these ancient communities are not forgotten.

08/18/2026

🚨 CHRISTIAN PILGRIMS AND CLERGY FACE RISING HARASSMENT IN JERUSALEM

Disturbing scenes of people spitting toward Christian pilgrims, clergy and sacred Christian symbols have once again focused attention on a growing problem in the Holy City.

Recent reporting documents an alarming rise in anti-Christian harassment in Jerusalem, particularly around the Old City. Christians have reported being spat at, verbally abused and, in some cases, physically assaulted because they visibly carry the symbols of their faith.

This is not an isolated concern.

In the first half of 2026 alone, 107 anti-Christian incidents were documented, according to data cited by the Wall Street Journal.

Earlier this month, another disturbing incident occurred at St. James Monastery in Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter, where suspects were filmed spitting at the monastery entrance and stones were thrown. Israeli police subsequently arrested six suspects, five of them minors.

For Christians, Jerusalem is not merely a historical destination. It is the city of Christ's Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection — home to some of Christianity's holiest places and to ancient Christian communities that have maintained their presence for generations.

No priest, nun, pilgrim or believer should fear harassment simply for wearing a cross, carrying a cross or openly practicing the Christian faith.

We condemn religious hatred wherever it comes from, while recognizing and supporting those Israelis and people of other faiths who have spoken against these attacks and worked to protect Christian communities.

☦️ The Christian presence in Jerusalem must be protected.

The Holy Orthodox Order of Saint George the Great Martyr remains committed to supporting Christians throughout the Holy Land and Middle East.

🙏 Please support our mission and help us preserve the Christian presence in the lands where our faith was born.

08/11/2026

🚨 TAYBEH DECLARED A “CLOSED MILITARY ZONE”

The Israeli military has declared Taybeh, the West Bank’s last entirely Christian Palestinian village, a “closed military zone,” restricting access to an ancient community whose Christian roots stretch back centuries.

The closure comes amid growing concern over settler violence across the occupied West Bank. Taybeh itself has faced repeated incidents of intimidation, attacks on agricultural land, and threats to property, prompting its Christian leaders to repeatedly appeal for protection.

For the people of Taybeh, these developments are about far more than restrictions on movement. They add to the fear that continued insecurity and pressure will force more Christian families to leave their ancestral homeland.

Taybeh is home to Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Melkite Catholic communities and represents one of the most important remaining centers of indigenous Palestinian Christianity. Every family that leaves makes the survival of this ancient Christian presence more uncertain.

🙏 We pray for the people of Taybeh, for their safety and their right to remain in their homes, worship freely, and preserve their Christian heritage.

❤️ Please support the mission of the Holy Orthodox Order of Saint George the Great Martyr as we work to protect and strengthen Christian communities throughout the Holy Land and the Middle East.

08/11/2026

The Jordan Armed Forces–Arab Army (JAF) on Monday evacuated the 30th group of sick children from the Gaza Strip, comprising 50 children accompanied by 78 family members, as part of the “Jordanian Medical Corridor” initiative launched under Royal directives.

The children will receive treatment at several Jordanian hospitals, reflecting the Kingdom’s ongoing medical and humanitarian commitment to supporting Palestinians in the war-hit Gaza Strip, according to a JAF statement.

08/10/2026

Palestinian Christians call themselves "living stones" and say they have lived continuously in the Holy Land for the last 2,000 years. Maybe not for much longer, believes Reverend Mitri Raheb.

"If the current conditions continue, there will not be a single Palestinian Christian left by 2050," said Raheb, founder and president of Dar Al Kalima University in Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ.

Full details on our website 🔗

08/09/2026

08/07/2026

⛰️✨ The Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord ✨⛰️

Yesterday, the Holy Orthodox Church celebrated one of the Great Feasts of the liturgical year: the Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

On Mount Tabor, Christ revealed His divine glory before the Apostles Peter, James, and John. His face shone like the sun, His garments became radiant with the uncreated light, and the Holy Prophets Moses and Elijah appeared beside Him, bearing witness that Christ is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

Then the voice of the Father was heard from the bright cloud:

"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him." (Matthew 17:5)

The Transfiguration reminds us that Christ is not only the suffering Messiah but also the eternal Son of God, whose divine light conquers darkness and offers hope, transformation, and eternal life to all who follow Him.

As we celebrate this glorious feast, let us pray that the light of Christ may shine in our hearts, strengthen Christians throughout the Holy Land and the Middle East, and bring peace to a region where our faith was born.

🙏 Blessed Feast of the Holy Transfiguration!

❤️ Please support the mission of the Holy Orthodox Order of Saint George the Great Martyr as we continue serving Christian communities, preserving our sacred heritage, and providing humanitarian assistance throughout the Holy Land and the Middle East.

#

08/07/2026

🚨 Coordinated Settler Attack Injures Children in Tuba, West Bank

At least six Palestinians, including four children, were injured during a coordinated overnight attack by Israeli settlers on the village of Tuba in the South Hebron Hills.

According to residents and local reports, a large group arrived in vehicles, entered the community, attacked families, threw stones at homes, and set fire to buildings, trees, hay bales, and an outdoor kitchen. Solar panels were destroyed, and several structures were damaged.

Among those injured were a mother, three young girls between the ages of five and eight, a ten-year-old boy, and a 22-year-old man. One family said women and children were forced to hide inside an inner room as attackers attempted to break into their home while fires spread around them.

The Israeli military said the attackers had fled before soldiers arrived and condemned violence against civilians, including women and children. No immediate arrests were announced.

Tuba is a small Palestinian community in the South Hebron Hills, an area that has experienced repeated violence, property destruction, and growing pressure on local residents.

Every attack on families and children deepens the suffering of the Holy Land and brings greater fear and uncertainty to the communities who call it home.

🙏 Please pray for the injured, for the protection of all innocent civilians, and for a just and lasting peace throughout the Holy Land.

❤️ Please support the mission of the Holy Orthodox Order of Saint George the Great Martyr as we continue providing humanitarian assistance, caring for vulnerable Christian families, and preserving the Christian presence throughout the Holy Land and the Middle East.

08/05/2026

🇵🇸 Palestinian Christian Leaders Voice Concerns Over Christian Zionism

Christian leaders in the Holy Land are raising serious concerns about the impact of Christian Zionism on the lives of Palestinian Christians, arguing that political interpretations of biblical prophecy often overlook the daily realities faced by ancient Christian communities.

In a recent interview, church leaders said that Palestinian Christians are experiencing increasing pressure through insecurity, harassment, restrictions, and violence, particularly in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. They urged Christians around the world—especially Evangelicals—to visit local Christian communities and hear their experiences firsthand.

Father Bashar Fawadleh of Taybeh, the last entirely Christian town in the West Bank, described the fear many families now live with. He said some parishioners are afraid to harvest their olive groves because of settler violence, while others openly question whether there is a future for their children in the land of their ancestors.

Church leaders have also expressed concern about financial support from some Christian Zionist organizations for Israeli communities in the West Bank, arguing that these policies contribute to growing pressure on indigenous Palestinian Christian communities.

For the ancient Christians of the Holy Land, the greatest fear is not only the violence of today, but the gradual disappearance of a Christian presence that has existed continuously since the time of Christ and the Apostles.

🙏 Please pray for peace, justice, and the protection of all Christian communities throughout the Holy Land.

❤️ Support the mission of the Holy Orthodox Order of Saint George the Great Martyr as we provide humanitarian assistance, strengthen Christian families, and help preserve the Christian presence throughout the Holy Land and the Middle East.

08/05/2026

🇸🇾 Patriarch John X Receives Syria's Ambassador to Greece in Damascus

On August 3, 2026, His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch welcomed Syria's Ambassador to Greece, Ms. Lamia Al-Hariri, to the Patriarchate in Damascus.

The meeting comes at a critical time for Syria's ancient Christian communities, who continue to endure the lasting effects of war, economic hardship, displacement, and political uncertainty. As one of the oldest Christian patriarchates in the world, the Patriarchate of Antioch remains a spiritual anchor for countless faithful across Syria and the wider Middle East.

In times of uncertainty, dialogue between Church leaders and public officials remains vital to protecting religious freedom, supporting humanitarian efforts, and preserving the Christian presence in the land where the Gospel has been preached since the Apostolic age.

🙏 Please keep the Christians of Syria in your prayers.

❤️ Support the mission of the Holy Orthodox Order of Saint George the Great Martyr as we continue serving and strengthening Christian communities throughout the Holy Land and the Middle East through humanitarian aid, advocacy, and the preservation of our ancient Christian heritage.