July 15, 2025 | TAYBEH, Occupied West Bank
Top church leaders and diplomats from over 20 nations gathered in the Christian Palestinian village of Taybeh to condemn a surge of Israeli settler violence threatening one of the Holy Land’s oldest Christian communities. The delegation—including representatives from the United Kingdom, Russia, China, Japan, Jordan, and the European Union—issued a joint call for Israeli accountability after settlers set fires near Taybeh’s fifth-century Church of St. George.
Key Developments in Taybeh
- Direct Accusations Against Israeli Authorities: Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III and Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa accused Israel of enabling attacks by settlers who act without consequences. Reported incidents included settlers grazing cattle to seize land, burning homes and vehicles, and erecting signs stating “there is no future for you here.” Emergency calls to Israeli forces were ignored.
- Religious Sites Under Threat: The July 7 arson attack near the Church of Al-Khader (St. George), a Byzantine-era sanctuary, was contained by local firefighters. Church leaders described the violence as “a systemic and targeted attack” on the shrinking Christian population.
Diplomatic and Ecclesiastical Responses
Patriarch Pizzaballa declared the West Bank “a lawless area” where “the only law is that of power.” The U.S. Embassy condemned the attacks but deferred investigations to Israeli authorities. Thirteen Jerusalem patriarchs and church heads issued a joint statement demanding accountability for those who “facilitate and enable” settler violence.
Escalating Violence Across the West Bank
Recent attacks illustrate the scale of the crisis:
| Date | Location | Incident | Casualties/Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 7 | Taybeh | Arson near Church of St. George | Church grounds damaged |
| July 11 | Sinjil | Attack on land defenders | 2 killed (including a U.S. citizen) |
| July 12 | Al-Mazraa ash-Sharqiya | Raid on village | 2 killed, over 10 injured |
| July 14 | Bethlehem / al-Maniya | Uprooting of trees and demolition | 1,500 olive saplings destroyed |
Broader Context: Crisis in Palestinian Christianity
Taybeh, the last entirely Christian Palestinian village in the West Bank, represents a vanishing heritage. Mentioned in the Old Testament as Ofra and in the New Testament as Ephraim, Taybeh’s priests warn that settler violence aims to erase a “living testimony dating back to the time of Christ.”
Since October 2023, UN reports indicate:
- 910+ Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank.
- 136 settler attacks occurred in May 2025 alone.
Christian communities now form only a tiny fraction of the population due to displacement and emigration.
International Silence and Next Steps
“We ask international delegations to witness our reality, and we call for economic support to sustain our resilience. The Holy Land cannot remain alive without its indigenous people.”
Report by WSN 024