In recent months, Muslim and Christian leaders in Jerusalem have held a series of meetings to address increasing Zionist threats and to affirm their commitment to work together to confront them.

Chief among the threats for Christian leaders is the infiltration of Christian Zionism. Certain Christian citizens of Israel, namely, Shadi Khalloul and Ihab Shlayan, both veterans of the Israeli army, have been leading the Christian Zionist charge.1 In 2022, Shlayan founded the Christian Voice advocacy group to enlist Christians in the Israeli army.2 The group even created a flag including a cross and the colors of the different Christian denominations,3 claiming to represent Christians in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories (oPT).

Recently, these groups met with senior Israeli leaders and the US ambassador. This alerted Jordanian leadership—as Hashemite custodians of the Christian and Muslim holy sites of Jerusalem—and drove the heads of churches in Jerusalem to issue a strong statement on January 17.

The statement noted that “recent activities undertaken by local individuals who advance damaging ideologies, such as Christian Zionism, mislead the public, sow confusion, and harm the unity of our flock. These undertakings have found favor among certain political actors in Israel and beyond who seek to push a political agenda which may harm the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the wider Middle East.”4

During the traditional Christmas reception hosted by Jordanian King Abdullah II, the monarch discussed the issue of Christian Zionism with Jerusalem’s Christian religious leaders in attendance. The issue was also prioritized in the official December 17, 2025, press release of the royal court.5

Shortly after the royal court meetings, and with the blessing of the Hashemite monarch, Christian and Islamic Waqf Department leaders in Jerusalem began meeting in earnest to address the shared threat. The first meeting was held on January 22, 2026, between members of the Waqf Council (see Jerusalem Receives a New Islamic Waqf Council amid Increasing Israeli Violations of al-Aqsa Mosque) and Patriarch Theophilos III of the Greek Orthodox Church, the largest church in Jerusalem, Palestine, Jordan, and the entire Levant.6

Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib, chairman of the Waqf Council, said that the meeting was further evidence of the depth of Islamic-Christian relations in Jerusalem, a relationship that began with the Covenant of ‘Umar in 637 CE and continues to this day.7 He stressed their collaboration under Hashemite Custodianship in the care of Christian and Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem, defending and standing firm together.

During the unprecedented meeting, Patriarch Theophilos III presented a copy of the Covenant of ‘Umar that the Orthodox Church stores for safekeeping. He added: “We are one family in the Holy City, and we must remain so in the face of Israeli measures against Christian churches and against Islamic endowments as well.”8 He stressed that he is optimistic by nature, and that this optimism must be spread among Muslims and Christians whom he said are “one hand.”

Judge Muhammad Sarandah, a member of the Islamic Waqf Council, said that Islamic religious teachings show the importance of these meetings, “which should be intensified,” as should “coordination between us, to show that people of different religions have the ability to coexist. The evidence for this is the abundance of old documents that confirm that manifestations of coexistence and care exist in this city.”9

One of the members of the Waqf Council who spoke with Jerusalem Story but asked not to be named said that when Caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab entered Jerusalem, he did not break a cross, demolish a church, or violate the sanctity of any holy place. Rather, he preserved these places, recommended their protection, and called for coexistence between Muslims and Christians—unlike what the Israeli authorities are doing these days, preventing Muslims from accessing al-Aqsa Mosque (see Israel Is Banning More and More Palestinian Figures from Entering al-Aqsa Mosque on Arbitrary Grounds) and Christians from accessing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate holidays, among other oppressive violations.

Dimitri Diliani, president of the National Christian Coalition in the Holy Land, affirmed that the ongoing meetings between the Islamic Waqf Council and the patriarchs and heads of churches constitute a conscious reaffirmation of Jerusalem's historical and national significance, and a consolidation of its authentic Arab identity in the face of the Israel’s project of Judaization. He emphasized that the Islamic and Christian holy sites represent an integral national fabric, and that their protection is a shared responsibility that rejects colonial manipulation.

Diliani explained that this institutional convergence between Muslim and Christian leaders comes at a time of dangerous escalation against Islamic and Christian holy sites by the Israeli state and its settlement arms. Therefore, these meetings, he argued, “must evolve into a unified diplomatic effort with consuls, missions, and international church bodies, supported by accurate documentation and figures from Jerusalem institutions. This is because the struggle today is as much a battle for narrative and international legitimacy as it is a battle on the ground.”12

He added: “Secondly, the issue of holy sites in Jerusalem must be linked to protecting the Palestinian presence there economically and socially, as the city is being depleted through displacement policies implemented by the genocidal state to force people to leave. Thirdly, a unified voice in Jerusalem must be established as a common umbrella for Muslims and Christians, because fragmenting the community is the most dangerous path to dismantling the city itself.”

The Waqf Council concluded its unprecedented activity with a meeting with the consuls of European Union (EU) countries on February 3. Held in the heart of the al-Aqsa Mosque, with more than 20 EU consuls and diplomats in attendance, the meeting took place under the watchful eyes of the Israeli police.

In this meeting, Sheikh al-Khatib began by affirming the legitimate authority of the Kingdom of Jordan over al-Aqsa (see Hashemite Custodianship of the Holy Sites of Jerusalem: A Century of Dynastic Authority and Protection) and welcomed attendees on behalf of the Jordanian monarch. He subsequently spoke about the historical sequence of Israeli attacks on al-Aqsa Mosque from 1967 until today.13

Consul Alexander Stozmann, dean of the European Diplomatic Corps, stressed the importance of this meeting, emphasizing the EU’s absolute support for the Islamic Waqf Department and its role in maintaining the Status Quo at al-Aqsa Mosque under Hashemite Custodianship. He added that “it is very important to meet with the officials of the Waqf to hear about the reality that everyone knows.”14 He explained that they will hold a similar meeting with the leadership of Christian churches in Jerusalem, after which a statement will be issued outlining the EU’s position on what is happening in Jerusalem.

The EU and its member states are continuously engaging with the heads of churches in Jerusalem. At a subsequent meeting in Jerusalem on February 6,15 the leaders of local churches highlighted several threats to Christian heritage in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, including financial pressure from local Israeli authorities, imposing municipality taxes, restrictions on freedom of movement for worshippers, incidents of settler violence and takeover of church lands, hate crimes against people of faith, and some impediments to access for teachers from the West Bank to schools in East Jerusalem.

Following its meetings with the Waqf Council on February 3 and with the Orthodox Patriarch in Jerusalem on February 6 the EU issued the following statement on February 12:

Following the meetings of the Waqf Council with the patriarchs of the major churches and with EU representatives, Israel asserted its dominance by significantly escalating its campaign against the Islamic Waqf Department, including by arresting dozens of Waqf Department employees and expelling more than 40 of them from al-Aqsa Mosque (see Israel Is Banning More and More Palestinian Figures from Entering al-Aqsa Mosque on Arbitrary Grounds).