Church leaders have denounced new violent attacks on the last all-Christian town in the West Bank.
Extremist settlers entered the Palestinian town of Taybeh, to the east of Ramallah, on July 28, torching cars and spraying hostile graffiti.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches put out a statement on July 29, expressing their “profound concern” over what they say are recurring incidents. They said, “Several vehicles were set ablaze, and hateful graffiti was sprayed – an unambiguous act of intimidation directed at a peaceful and faithful community rooted in the land of Christ.”
Extremists torched the walls of the fifth-century Church of St. George on the eastern outskirts of the town, which was also attacked on July 7 by extremist settlers.
They added, “This grievous incident is not an isolated occurrence. It forms part of an alarming pattern of settler violence against West Bank communities, including their homes, sacred spaces, and ways of life. Only days ago, settlers forcibly entered Taybeh, herding livestock into the heart of the town. Masked individuals – some armed, others on horseback – roamed the streets, spreading terror and threatening the sanctity of daily life. Fire reached the very walls of the ancient church, a living testament to the Christian faith’s enduring presence in the Holy Land.”
They said official police statements described the attacks as “property damage,” thus “omitting the broader context of systematic intimidation and abuse.”
They added, “We are gravely troubled by the prevailing climate of impunity, which undermines the rule of law and jeopardizes peaceful coexistence in the land of the Resurrection. The lack of accountability not only threatens Christian communities but also weakens the moral and legal foundations that uphold peace and justice for all.”
Read more: https://www.churchinneed.org/extremist-settlers-torch-cars-and-spray-graffiti-in-last-all-christian-town-in-west-bank/
By churchinneed.org
