We hear a lot about defending “religious freedom” abroad. We hear even more about protecting Christians from persecution. But here’s what we don’t hear: our own government’s wars and interventions—often in lockstep with Israel—have destroyed some of the oldest Christian communities on earth.
Prior to the Iraq War in 2003, Christians constituted about 10% of Iraq’s populace, with their heritage dating back to the initial centuries following Christ’s time. Their churches had stood for over a millennium. However, following the U.S. invasion, sectarian turmoil ensued, enabling Islamist militias to take hold. Christians faced killings, forced conversions, taxation under jizya laws, or were compelled to flee. Within two decades, their numbers dwindled to around 1–2%, equating to over a million and a half people displaced, their homes vanished, churches destroyed, and history erased.
Syria shares a similar narrative. About 10% were Christian before the conflict. Yet, the U.S. and its allies chose to arm and back “rebels” often revealed as hardline Islamists. Historic Christian towns like Maaloula—where Aramaic, the language of Jesus, was still spoken—were assaulted, churches desecrated, and believers killed or dispersed. Another ancient branch of Christianity, almost obliterated in our lifetimes.
The West Bank presents another story. Few are aware of the dwindling population of Palestinian Christians still residing there. They are descendants of the very first Christians. The last entirely Christian village, Taybeh, is under threat from violent Israeli settlers. Homes have been set ablaze. Crops ruined. People attacked openly. This is all happening with the oversight—and often protection—of the Israeli army. This is not “defense.” This is a slow-motion eradication.
Father Bashar Basiel from Taybeh speaks of “living under constant fire, barbarism, and brutality” daily. His community endures threats, humiliation, and ongoing pressure to abandon their homes. Yet, they remain steadfast. “We will prevail with hope. We are Palestinian Christians. We resist with our faith.”
The harsh reality is that without the U.S. providing political support, its veto power at the UN and the continuous billions in military aid, Israel couldn’t maintain such an oppressive regime. Our tax dollars not only fund “security” but also finance the violence expelling our Christian brothers and sisters from their ancestral lands.
If you are an American Christian proud of “supporting the Church,” consider this: our foreign policy hasn’t safeguarded our fellow believers in the Middle East—it has aided in their devastation. Iraq. Syria. Palestine.
We are watching Christianity’s oldest communities vanish… not at the hands of distant enemies, but as collateral damage—and sometimes direct targets—in wars and occupations our leaders chose.
Maybe it’s time to start asking hard questions about who we really stand with—and whether the “good guys” in these conflicts are the ones we’ve been told.
