Are We Israeli or Palestinian?

This is a question we are asked often, especially by people who want to understand who we are before they decide how to relate to us.

Sometimes it is asked with curiosity.
Sometimes with suspicion.
Sometimes because people feel they need a clear label before they continue the conversation.

We understand that. Identity matters to people. It helps them orient themselves.

So we answer plainly.

We are a Christian family from Nazareth. Our family has lived in the Holy Land for many generations. Our mother and father started this work together in 2003, and we have continued it. We were born there. We grew up there. We know daily life there in a very ordinary, practical way.

That is where we start.

About the land and identity

The land we live in is often discussed as if it only began to exist with modern borders. For people who live there, history feels much longer than that.

Christian communities in Nazareth, Bethlehem, Beit Sahour, and villages across Galilee did not appear recently. These communities existed long before the current political map and continued through many changes of rule, language, and administration.

This is important context, because it explains why simple labels often fail to describe reality on the ground.

About being called “Arab”

Many Christians from the Holy Land are described today as Arab Christians. This is usually because Arabic is the language spoken at home, in church life, and in daily work.

Language, however, does not define ancestry.

Throughout history, languages have spread through conquest, administration, and cultural dominance. People adapted in order to live, work, and survive. This happened in many parts of the world. When a language becomes dominant, it does not automatically replace the people who were already there.

Christians from Nazareth and nearby regions are indigenous Levantine people. Our roots in the land go back far earlier than modern political categories. In my own case, a DNA test showed overwhelmingly Levantine ancestry. This aligns with what historians and archaeologists already know about the continuity of populations in the region.

Speaking Arabic today reflects history, not origin.

Why Nazareth matters

Nazareth is where Jesus Christ grew up. It is not only a place of pilgrimage, but a living city where Christian families have remained, worked, and raised children across generations.

Christianity began here among ordinary people in real towns and villages. That continuity is still present, even if it is under pressure.

Where our olive wood comes from

Our olive wood comes from Christian artisans across the Holy Land.

We work with families in Nazareth and Galilee, and with Christian communities in Bethlehem and Beit Sahour. These artisans share a long tradition of olive wood craftsmanship that has been passed down for centuries. The wood is taken from pruned olive branches, not cut trees, following practices that respect both land and livelihood.

This craft is not symbolic for these families. It is one of the main ways they are able to earn a living and remain in their communities.

So when people ask whether our olive wood is from Israel or Palestine, the factual answer is that it comes from Christian families across the Holy Land. That is how the work has always been done.

Why we do not choose political sides

People sometimes assume that not choosing a political side means avoiding responsibility or lacking conviction.

For us, it is neither.

Life in the Holy Land is complex and difficult for everyone living there. Christians, Muslims, and Jews all carry daily pressures. Christian communities, in particular, have been shrinking for decades, largely because of economic strain and lack of long-term stability.

Our focus has always been practical. We support Christian families through work that allows them to stay, to raise children, and to continue traditions that are deeply tied to the land. That focus has guided our family since 2003.

Choosing one political side often means speaking against another. That approach does not reflect how people actually live together on the ground, nor does it help families remain.

Faith and daily life

We are Christians. Our reference point is the teachings of Christ, not political ideology. Those teachings emphasize responsibility toward others, honesty, humility, and care for people as they are.

That does not erase differences or deny reality. It simply sets the order of importance.

In simple terms

We are a Christian family from Nazareth.
We work with Christian artisans across the Holy Land.
We are Levantine people whose roots in the land predate modern borders.
We support families through honest work so they can remain where Christianity began.