Church Leaders and Diplomats Condemn Israeli Settler Violence in West Bank

Top church officials and diplomats from more than 20 countries have strongly condemned recent settler attacks in the occupied West Bank. Their visit to the Christian village of Taybeh on Monday follows a series of violent incidents attributed to Israeli settlers.

Representatives from the UK, China, Russia, Japan, Jordan, and the European Union joined the delegation, calling for immediate accountability and legal enforcement against the attackers.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III and Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa spoke out after settlers set fires near a church in Taybeh last week. The church leaders accused Israeli authorities of failing to respond to emergency calls from the Palestinian community.

In a joint statement, Christian leaders demanded a formal investigation into the attacks. They also reported that settlers had grazed livestock on Palestinian farmland, torched homes, and posted a sign warning, “There is no future for you here.”

Systemic Targeting of Palestinian Christians

Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim reported that church leaders describe the attacks as “systemic and targeted” against the Christian minority in Palestine. An estimated 50,000 Christians live in the West Bank, forming a small but historically significant population.

“They see themselves under attack not only for being Christians but also as Palestinians,” Ibrahim noted.

Despite ongoing efforts to support Christian resilience in Palestine, many leaders claim settlers are actively working to displace them.

Human rights groups have long documented settler violence in the West Bank, often carried out with backing from the Israeli military. These incidents include home invasions, destruction of property, and physical assaults. Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, such attacks have surged, alongside military raids that have killed hundreds and displaced thousands.

Call for Rule of Law

Pizzaballa warned that the West Bank is turning into a lawless zone where might overrides justice.

“We must work to restore the rule of law so that every resident can appeal to legal protections,” he said, after praying at the historic Church of St George with Theophilos III.

The visit occurred as fresh settler violence spread across the West Bank. In Bethlehem, settlers uprooted over 1,500 olive saplings in al-Maniya village, and Israeli forces demolished a four-story building. On the same day, settlers set up tents on Palestinian land in al-Qarn.

In Al-Mazraa ash-Sharqiya, mourners gathered to bury two men killed during a settler attack last Friday.

Growing Crisis in the West Bank

More than 3 million Palestinians live under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank, with limited governance by the Palestinian Authority. Over 100 Israeli settlements house approximately 500,000 settlers, built illegally on Palestinian land, in violation of international law.

Church leaders and diplomats alike are urging immediate international action to halt settler violence and defend Palestinian rights under international law.


Source: Al Jazeera