Riah Abu El-Assal

Biography

Riah Hanna Abu El-Assal, born in Nazareth in 1937, is a Palestinian Anglican cleric who served as the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem from 1997 to 2007, the thirteenth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East. A leading figure of Palestinian Christianity within Israel, he combined pastoral leadership with decades of activism for justice, reconciliation, and interfaith understanding. Before his episcopate he served for some twenty-seven years as rector of Christ Church in Nazareth, where he built educational and community institutions, including the Bishop Riah Educational Campus, strengthening the civic and educational fabric of the Arab community in the Galilee. Abu El-Assal was politically engaged as well, taking part in the Progressive List for Peace, a joint Jewish-Arab political party active in the 1980s, reflecting his belief in shared civic life and coexistence between peoples. He became a recognized voice in international interfaith dialogue. In 2002 he was among the religious leaders involved in the Alexandria Declaration, in which senior Christian, Muslim, and Jewish figures committed to working together to resolve the conflict, a landmark in regional interfaith peacemaking. Through his ministry, educational work, and interfaith leadership, Abu El-Assal has stood as one of the most prominent Palestinian Christian clergy of his era, advocating a faith deeply engaged with justice, reconciliation, and the dignity of the Palestinian people.

Why This Person Matters

As Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem and a Galilee community-builder, Abu El-Assal embodied an activist Palestinian Christianity rooted in justice, education, and interfaith reconciliation.

Historical Context

Riah Abu El-Assal was born in Nazareth in 1937 and rose as a leader of Palestinian Christianity among the Arab citizens of Israel, a community navigating life as a minority inside the state established in 1948. He served as rector of Christ Church in Nazareth for some twenty-seven years before becoming Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem from 1997 to 2007, a period spanning the Oslo years and the second Intifada. His political engagement with the Progressive List for Peace in the 1980s reflected a conviction in shared Jewish-Arab civic life. His ministry unfolded at the meeting point of faith, minority citizenship, and the wider Palestinian struggle.

Legacy & Influence

Abu El-Assal built educational and community institutions in Nazareth, including the Bishop Riah Educational Campus, strengthening the civic and educational fabric of the Arab community in the Galilee. As Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem he became a recognized voice in international interfaith dialogue, joining the 2002 Alexandria Declaration in which senior Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders committed to working together to resolve the conflict. He stands as one of the most prominent Palestinian Christian clergy of his era, embodying an activist faith rooted in justice, education, and reconciliation. His institution-building and interfaith witness remain part of the legacy of Palestinian Christianity in the Galilee.

References & Sources

1. Riah Abu El-Assal — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riah_Abu_El-Assal
2. Diocesan History - Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem — https://j-diocese.org/diocesan-history/