Patriarchs Of Jerusalem Call For Investigation Into Arson Attacks By Israeli Settlers On Christian Town

Christian leaders visited the town of Taybeh, the only majority Chrisian village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on July 14 to denounce arson and attacks by "radical" Israeli settlers. The area lies due west of the Jordan River, hence its moniker.

Expressing fear that Christians are tempted to emigrate because of the violence, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin rite Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020, said: "Unfortunately, the temptation to emigrate is there because of the situation." He added, "This time it's very difficult to see how and when this will finish, and especially for the youth to talk about hope, trust for the future." Christians have been emigrating from the region for years. Bethlehem, which was once a majority-Christian town now has a Muslim majority, for instance.

Currently, about 50,000 Christian Palestinians live in Jerusalem, Israel, and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, an area that includes many sacred sites including Bethlehem where Jesus was born. There are about 700,000 Israeli Jewish settlers living among 2.7 million Muslims and Christians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war, and that Arab-speaking communities regard as part of an eventual state. 

Dozens of Israeli Jews have been killed in murders and clashes on the West Bank in recent years. Patrols by the Israeli Defense Forces have been stepped up as a result.

"These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community ... but also to the historic and religious heritage," the patriarch said at a press conference in Taybeh on July 14. He acccused Israeli settlers of attacking homes. "We call for an immediate and transparent investigation on why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished," he added. In the past, the Israeli government has repudiated acts of violence by civilians are unacceptable and that individuals should not take the law into their own hands. Cardinal Pizzaballa and other churchmen led locals in prayer as they gathered in the ruins of the 5th century church of St George which was torched by settlers.

The church leaders claim that Israeli authorities "facilitate and enable" the settlers around Taybeh and demanded an "immediate and transparent investigation" into why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local communities during recent attacks and why the "abhorrent actions" continue to go unpunished. "The attacks by the hands of settlers against our community, which is living in peace, must stop, both here in Taybeh and elsewhere throughout the West Bank. This is clearly part of the systematic attacks against Christians that we see unfolding throughout the region," they wrote. They called for "prayers, attention, and action" from diplomats, politicians and journalists -- especially from Christians.

They claimed that "repeated, systematic attacks from these radicals" are "only growing more frequent."

Over the past month, settlers have grazed their cattle on crop land to the east of Taybeh, making them inaccessible to their owners and damaging their olive groves. Last month, homes in Taybeh were attacked by the settlers who set fires and put up a billboard which read: "There is no future for you here."

"The Church has had a faithful presence in this region for nearly 2,000 years. We firmly reject this message of exclusion and reaffirm our commitment to a Holy Land that is a mosaic of different faiths, living peacefully together in dignity and safety," they said.

In recent days, Taybeh has been targeted at least four times settlers from the nearby Rimonim Jewish settlement who have set up tents on Taybeh land. In addition to homes and olive groves, religious and cultural landmarks such as an ancient Byzantine era cemetery and the fifth-century St. George church were damaged or destroy by arsonists on July 7. Residents reported that Israeli soldiers stationed nearby failed to intervene and shielded the settlers as the violence unfolded.

Here follows the statement by the patriarchs:

We, the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem, are here today in Taybeh in solidarity with the local community following an intensifying trend of systemic and targeted attacks against them and their presence. We ask for the prayers, attention, and action of the world, particularly that of Christians globally.

On Monday, 7 July 2025, radical Israelis from nearby settlements intentionally set fire near the town’s cemetery and the Church of Saint George, which dates back to the 5th century. Taybeh is the last remaining all-Christian town in the West Bank. These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community first and foremost, but also to the historic and religious heritage of our ancestors and holy sites. In the face of such threats, the greatest act of bravery is to continue to call this your home. We stand with you, we support your resilience, and you have our prayers.

We give thanks for the local residents and firefighters for extinguishing the fire before our holy sites were destroyed, but we join voices with the local priests - Greek Orthodox, Latin, and Melkite Greek Catholic - issuing a clear plea for support in the face of repeated, systematic attacks from these radicals, which are only growing more frequent.

In recent months, the radicals have led their cattle to graze on the farms of Christians on the east side of Taybeh - the agricultural area - rendering them inaccessible at best but at worst damaging the olive groves that families depend on. Last month, several homes were attacked by these radicals, lighting fires and erecting a billboard that said, translated into English, “there is no future for you here”.

The Church has had a faithful presence in this region for nearly 2,000 years. We firmly reject this message of exclusion and reaffirm our commitment to a Holy Land that is a mosaic of different faiths, living peacefully together in dignity and safety.

The Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches calls for these radicals to be held accountable by the Israeli authorities, who facilitate and enable their presence around Taybeh. Even in times of war, sacred places must be protected. We call for an immediate and transparent investigation into why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished.

The attacks by the hands of settlers against our community, which is living in peace, must stop, both here in Taybeh and elsewhere throughout the West Bank. This is clearly part of the systematic attacks against Christians that we see unfolding throughout the region.

Furthermore, we ask diplomats, politicians, and church officials worldwide to provide a prayerful and outspoken voice for our ecumenical community in Taybeh, that their presence may be secured and that they can live in peace to worship freely, grow crops without danger, and live in a peace that seems to be in far too short of supply.

We join our fellow clergy in Taybeh in reiterating this of hope in the face of a persistent threat: “truth and justice will ultimately prevail”. And we recall the words of the Prophet Amos, which become our prayer during this challenging time: “let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”.

+ Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem