‘Systematic erasure’: Christian groups warn of genocide in Syria

The groups called for sanctions against Turkey and a halt to the flow of military supplies from Turkey to militias commanded by Al-Sharaa.

By Sveta Listratov, TPS

In a joint statement, four Christian Zionist organizations from across the Middle East have raised alarm over the increasing persecution of Christians in Syria.

Their condemnation targets not only the violence but what they call the silence of the international Christian community and Western nations.

The letter describes a pattern of violence and extortion targeting Syria’s estimated 200,000 Christians since December, when the Turkish-backed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham overthrew the government of Bashar Assad.

“Since Ahmed Al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammad Al-Jolani) assumed power in Syria, Christians there have been subjected to the most horrific forms of oppression, including murder, forced displacement, and coercion into converting from Christianity to Islam under the threat of terror and violence. Christian families are being expelled from their homes, their properties are being seized, Christian merchants are being forced to pay extortionate levies, women and underage girls are being kidnapped, homes are being set on fire, and churches are being converted into mosques,” the letter said.

“These crimes are being committed in plain sight of the world, while Western nations and the global Christian community remain mere spectators, failing to take any serious action,” it added.

The letter was signed by the Jerusalemite Initiative, Israeli Christians Forever, Free Christians and Junod El Rab from Lebanon- holding a branch in Israel.

Elias Zarina, co-founder and community manager of the Jerusalemite Initiative told The Press Service of Israel, “The West treats terrorist organizations and all those who support them as innocent people, but when there’s genocide happening against Christians and Assyrians in Syria for the last 40 days, not a single international organization, nor any Western or Christian country has risen up and said, ‘Enough, we need to intervene,’”

“It’s a big disappointment, and beyond that, it feels like hypocrisy and discrimination,” Zarina insisted. “We are witnessing a project aimed at systematically erasing the Christian presence in Syria,” says Zarina.

“When Christians are forced from their homes, it’s not just about displacement – it’s a symbolic act, indicating they are no longer welcome in their own homeland.”

The Jerusalemite Initiative is a Jerusalem-based non-profit that encourages Arab Christian integration into Israeli society.

The letter called for sanctions against Turkey and a halt to the flow of military supplies from Turkey to militias commanded by Al-Sharaa.

The letter also demanded military protection for Christians and their property and expressed strong opposition to any pressure from foreign embassies in Israel to facilitate the migration of Syrian Christians.

The organizations argue that if this migration continues, it will lead to the complete erasure of Christianity from the Levant.

“If Syrian Christians leave, they will never be able to return. Syria will be lost to radicalism. It will become a state like ISIS or the Taliban – where no one, including Christians, will be safe,” Zarina told TPS-IL.

“We will not stand idly by while our heritage and presence in the region are wiped out,” Zarina said. “Our goal is to ensure that the Christian identity, history, and legacy of the Levant are preserved.”