Pope John Paul II kneels to kiss Palestinian soil, a Christian blessing on land that claims the origin of the three largest religions in the world. Around 180,000 Christians live in and around Jerusalem and Palestinian-controlled Bethlehem. Before 1948, Christians were a majority in Bethlehem. They've now been outnumbered here by Muslims due to the influx of Palestinian refugees. Many feel that they are subject to discrimination and penalized for their religion. "We never had a problem sending our children to church to practice their religion. But nowadays everything has changed…" says Paulette Dabdoub, a Christian Arab in Bethlehem. With the world's attention focused on the rift between Israelis and Palestinians, the plight of this minority tends to be overlooked. This story explores how history, politics, and religion are intertwined in the Holy Land.

Produced by ORF