- 16 July, 2025
Taibeh, West Bank, July 10, 2025 – The parish priests of the Latin, Greek Orthodox, and Melkite churches in Taibeh have strongly condemned a string of violent assaults by Jewish settlers targeting Christian inhabitants and their properties. The clerics are appealing to both international and ecclesial bodies to urgently deploy field missions to document the damage and assess the worsening conditions on the ground.
Taibeh—historically known as Ephraim—is the only entirely Christian Palestinian village and holds significant biblical relevance as the site where Jesus withdrew after raising Lazarus (John 11:54). With ancient Christian roots and three prominent churches, the village has come under attack in recent weeks.
Historic Church and Cemetery Set Ablaze
On Tuesday, settlers ignited fires near the Byzantine-era Christian cemetery and at the Church of Al-Khader (St George), a revered 5th-century sanctuary. These arson attacks are part of a series of escalating violent incidents targeting Taibeh’s Christian population. Settlers have also vandalised olive groves—the village’s main source of livelihood—and obstructed farmers from accessing their land.
Clerics Call for Accountability
Fathers Bashar Fawadleh, Jack Nobel Abed, and Daoud Khoury have issued a collective statement urging Israeli authorities to take immediate action against the settler violence, which they say often occurs in the presence of inactive Israeli soldiers. They also stress the need for international missions to visit Taibeh and bear witness to the mounting destruction and displacement.
Wider Pattern of Violence
The attacks on Taibeh mirror a broader trend of settler aggression across the West Bank. Other Palestinian villages—such as Ein Samia and Kufr Malik—have experienced similar violence, with homes, crops, and vehicles being torched. In late June, four young Palestinians resisting such attacks were reportedly killed. In Ein Samia, settlers also destroyed a Roman-era aqueduct still in use, depriving thousands of essential water supply up to Ramallah.
Encroaching Settlements and Land Grabs
Taibeh lies in the Ramallah highlands, offering views of both Jerusalem and Jordan’s Al-Salt mountains. Its peaceful coexistence with surrounding Muslim villages has been strained since 1977, when Israel confiscated vast stretches of farmland to establish the illegal settlement of Rimonim. Further land was seized for road infrastructure connecting other settlements. In recent days, even before the latest arson attacks, settlers had torched a home and several vehicles on the village’s outskirts. Local fears are growing over further potential land seizures.
A Community at Risk of Being Forgotten
The priests warn that while international focus remains fixed on the ongoing crisis in Gaza, the slow but steady erosion of the world’s oldest Christian community may be overlooked. They call for global solidarity and action before this historic presence is irreversibly lost.
Courtesy: Vatican News
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