Munther Isaac

Raised in Beit Sahour, he completed a PhD at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, later becoming the director of the Christ at the Checkpoint conference and the academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College.

For some time, Isaac has vocally criticized the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians and Christian Zionist support for Israel.

[5][3] Isaac has childhood memories of Christmas shopping in Jerusalem, a city which the Israeli government no longer allows him to visit.

[6][7] As an adult, he witnessed the building of the West Bank barrier, which divides Bethlehem from Jerusalem and requires Palestinians to apply for permits to travel through Israeli military checkpoints between the two cities.

[3][10] In 2012, Isaac became the director of Christ at the Checkpoint (CATC), a conference which seeks to encourage and organize opposition to the Israeli occupation of Palestine among Christians from other countries.

[3][5] In addition to attending lectures, conference participants witness some of the features of the Israeli occupation, including the West Bank Barrier and the military checkpoints.

Many Palestinian Christians have left the West Bank due to the Israeli occupation and high rates of unemployment.

[21][22] In November 2023, Isaac brought a letter from several Bethlehem churches to US President Joseph Biden urging him to end the Gaza war.

[6] The nativity scene in Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem depicted Jesus wrapped in a Palestinian keffiyeh and lying in a pile of rubble.

"[23][25] On Christmas Eve, Isaac preached a sermon entitled "Christ in the Rubble: A Liturgy of Lament"[24][26] in which he stated: "We, the Palestinians, will recover, as we always have...

[32][7][33][34] Following Isaac's speech at a pro-Palestine protest in London that featured Jeremy Corbyn, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby cancelled their February 2024 meeting.

[2] In an April 2024 interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, Isaac accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

One reviewer writes that Isaac accurately describes Palestinian suffering but disregards Israeli security concerns.