Church Leaders Urge Action Against Settler Violence in West Bank
Top church leaders in the Holy Land have condemned Israeli authorities for allegedly enabling Israeli settlers to intensify attacks on Taybeh, the only entirely Christian Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank. Church patriarchs called for accountability and an investigation into recent incidents of violence and intimidation in the area.
In a powerful denouncement on Monday, leading church figures in the Holy Land accused Israeli authorities of enabling Israeli settlers who have been carrying out intensified attacks on Taybeh, the last entirely Christian village in the occupied West Bank.
During a rare solidarity visit, Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III and Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa decried recent settler attacks, including fires set near the Taybeh church, and claimed that Israeli authorities ignored the community's emergency calls. The church leaders urged an investigation and accountability for settler violence, alleging their activities are facilitated by Israeli officials.
This statement arrives amid an escalation of violence in the West Bank, exacerbated by ongoing military actions in Gaza. Settler attacks and clashes with Palestinians have surged, leading the church leaders to call for the return of lawful governance in the area.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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