- Population: 5,483,450, or 731 people per km²
- Official languages: Arabic
Palestine is an integral part of the Holy Land.
The predominant religion is Sunni Islam, which accounts for 97% of the population. In 2013, there were approximately 60,000 Christians, or 1.2 percent of the population, generally of the Greek Melkite, Orthodox, and Latin rites.
In the Gaza Strip, there are very few Christians—fewer than 3,000—most of whom are Orthodox.
In March 2013, Bishop Pascal Gollnisch, then director general of the Œuvre d’Orient, reiterated the urgency of peace, emphasizing that “If Christians, Jews, and Muslims would only reflect on the foundations of their faith, they would see the obvious unsustainability of the situation in Jerusalem and the urgency of sending a prophetic message in the service of peace.”
