Church Leaders Condemn Israeli Settler Violence in West Bank’s Only All-Christian Village

AYBEH, West Bank, July 15 — Prominent leaders of Christian churches in the Holy Land have condemned the surge in violence by Israeli settlers, particularly targeting the village of Taybeh—the only remaining entirely Christian Palestinian community in the occupied West Bank.

During a rare and symbolic visit to Taybeh on Monday, Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III and Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa denounced recent settler attacks, including a disturbing incident last week in which settlers reportedly set fires near a local church. According to local sources, Israeli authorities failed to respond to urgent emergency calls from the village during the attack.

In a joint statement issued later, the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem called for a full investigation into the incident and urged Israeli authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable. The statement accused the Israeli government of “facilitating and enabling” the settler presence around Taybeh, which has led to a dramatic increase in harassment and violence.

The church leaders also highlighted other recent provocations, including settlers grazing cattle on Palestinian farmland, burning homes, and erecting a sign threatening residents: “There is no future for you here.”

“The West Bank is increasingly becoming a lawless area,” said Patriarch Pizzaballa, the highest-ranking Catholic official in the region. “The only law is that of those who have the power. We must restore a legal system that protects everyone, regardless of ethnicity or religion.”

Pizzaballa and Theophilos prayed at the historic St. George Church, a centuries-old site adjacent to where settlers reportedly lit fires last week. Their visit was intended as both a gesture of solidarity and a call for justice.

The condemnation comes amid a growing wave of settler violence across the West Bank. On Sunday, hundreds of people gathered in the nearby village of Al-Mazraa al-Sharqiya for the funerals of two Palestinian youths killed during a settler attack on Friday.

Tensions in the occupied West Bank have sharply escalated in recent months. According to Palestinian reports and human rights groups, attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian communities have increased significantly—often under the watch of or with the tacit support of Israeli security forces.

The Christian population in Israel and the Palestinian territories has dwindled over the decades, now representing only a small fraction of the region’s population. Experts attribute this to emigration driven by political instability, economic hardship, and ongoing conflict.

Religious leaders have repeatedly warned that without stronger protections, ancient Christian communities in the Holy Land may continue to disappear.

“The survival of our Christian presence in this land is being threatened not just by war, but by deliberate acts of intimidation and erasure,” the church leaders said. “We call on the international community to act.