Israel likes to keep the numbers of Orthodox Christians in the Holy Land out of sight but it is worrying enough to be discussed in Parliament.

Statistics on Christians in Israel

"The Russians Are Coming" to rescue the Holy Land?

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2000/494/op1.htm

There have been significant changes to Israeli religious demographics over
the last 10 years, thanks to the influx of more than 1 million Russians. One
in 5 Israelis is now Russian, 20% of the population. A proportion of these
are Jews by ancestry but Russian Orthodox Christians by religion. Today new
Orthodox churches are being built throughout Israel and even on the
kibbutzim! The Russians and the Arabs are brother Orthodox in Israel and
together they will bring a new springtime of Christianity to the Mother
Church of Jerusalem.

"I was recently given two startling pieces of information by a visiting
Palestinian friend from Jerusalem. One was that there were several Russian
Orthodox Christian churches being built in the southern Israeli town of
Beersheba.... <snip>

"Just as remarkable is Lustick's observation that a significant number of
the newcomers had registered themselves either as Christians or persons of
no religion at all. As a result of this situation, the Russians, or to put
it another way, non-Arab Christians are the fastest growing Israeli
religious community and now constitute 8-9 per cent of the non-Arab
population of the state... <snip>"
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2000/494/op1.htm

One factor with which the Jerusalem Patriarchate will have to come to terms
in the near future is the large numbers of Russian Orthodox who are now part
of its flock. These are Jews genetically and Orthodox Christians
religiously. Jerusalem has set up a church department for the Russians but
it seems inadequate for the numbers of Russians involved. In the years ahead
the character of the Patriarchate will be altered by the Russian Orthodox
influx.

Another article:

http://portal-credo.ru/site/print.php?act=news&id=33276

Last wave of immigration sharply increased
the number of secret [Orthodox] Christians in Israel

Although official statistics indicate that the number of Christians in
Israel is constantly decreasing, in reality, EAI data shows that there is a
large number of secret Christians among the Jews who arrived from Russia and
Ukraine between 1989-1993.

Thus, the research conducted among 86,000 new immigrants in 1999
demonstrated that approximately 53% of them cannot be considered Jews in
accordance with Judaic law. Available data suggest approximately 400,000
"unregistered [Orthodox] Christians" arrived with the last wave of
immigration.

Alexandr

Wow! Had no idea - thanks for sharing! That should liven thing up over there. Will they now have to divide Israel into three separate states?

I wonder how the Knesset would feel about Cossack patrols in Israeli neighborhoods, in the name of increased security.

Alexandr