The Crusaders' brutality left a negative legacy some Muslims have not yet forgotten. It also exacerbated the life of the local Christians and led to their persecution and the conversion of many to Islam. The rise and expansion of western powers, their political and religious interest in the Holy Land, and eventually the British Mandate with its commitment to the fulfillment of the Zionist dream through the Balfour Declaration have been the prelude to the catastrophe of Palestine. The success of Zionism in the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 and its tragic aftermath in the dispersion of three quarters of a million Palestinians condemned to a refugee status, the failure of the UN to implement its resolutions over Palestine, the role of the Holocaust which the state of Israel, many Jews and others have used to legitimate the claims of Zionism, the depletion of the number of Christians - all these and more are part of the background. It is impossible to talk about local Christian witness without putting the witness in this broad background.
History lives vividly in the Middle East.
It was based on fear and distrust and many times it is still visible in the way some Christians behave. I would even say that it has zapped the vitality of the church's witness and relegated it into traditional, confined, and limited spheres. That is why one cannot talk about a viable Christian witness today without talking about relations between the churches, i.e. ecumenism. One cannot talk about Christian witness without talking about our relationship with Muslims and Islam. One cannot talk about Christian witness without talking about our relationship with western Christians.