Israel

The West Bank city of Bethlehem adjoins Jerusalem, but the cities are separated by a huge wall designed to protect against terrorist attacks. Bethlehem and the rest of the West Bank are partially governed by the Palestinian Authority (PA), while Israel controls the roads and Israeli settlements. Persecution of Christian converts in the West Bank comes both from family members and, sometimes, from the PA. Saif, a Christian convert from Islam who lives in the Bethlehem area, was imprisoned by the PA because of his faith. He came to know Jesus through a group of Messianic Jews in 2004, after studying the Bible for four years and comparing it with the Quran. He was 34 and married with five children. Saif’s wife was resistant to the gospel and thought of leaving him after his conversion. But Saif made his priorities clear to her. “You choose,” he told her. “I am willing to leave the house for you, but I can’t come back to Islam.” Saif’s new faith was further tested two days after he was baptized. “Jesus appeared to me and told me he wanted me to evangelize in His name,” he said. Without hesitation, Saif quit his work as