Israel Appoints Envoy to Christian World

The Israeli government announced the appointment of a special envoy to the Christian world in April. The position aims to improve relations with Christian communities abroad and within Israel. Ambassador George Deek, who served six years as Israel's ambassador to Azerbaijan, now holds the post.

He said the decision reflects three factors: the historical connection between Christians and the land of Israel, shared biblical values, and Israel's interest in engaging people of all religions.

Statistics reported that the country's Christian population reached approximately 184,200 as of December 2025. The figure represents 1.9 percent of the total population and grew 0.7 percent from the prior year. Deek noted that Israel's Christian population has increased from 34,000 in 1948 to more than 180,000 today, while the number of churches has doubled to 300.

Deek said the Christian share of the Middle East population has fallen from 20 percent to less than 2 percent. He described Israel's Christian community as the only one in the region that is growing. He also cited recent isolated incidents involving attacks on Christian symbols and one assault on a Christian nun.

Israeli authorities have condemned the acts and placed the perpetrators in prison, he said. Deek stated that his role includes countering narratives he described as misrepresentations of Christian life in Israel. He said he plans to invite Christians to visit biblical sites under Israeli protection.