Jerusalem Church Leaders Condemn Settler Attack on Taybeh
Harvesters and visiting European diplomats were attacked; church leaders rejected a ruling allowing seizure of olive crops and demanded an end to impunity.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem have condemned a settler attack on the Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank. In a joint statement they described the assault as a “heinous” and “wild attack,” insisting it is “not an isolated incident.”
The statement, issued in October and published by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said the attackers struck residents who were harvesting olives and European diplomats who were on a solidarity visit. Church leaders placed the violence within a broader campaign of settler terror that has peaked during the olive harvest across West Bank villages, a season when many families depend on the crop and when pressure on the ground often intensifies.
An Unacceptable Claim on the Olive Harvest
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches rejected a recent religious ruling that would permit Jews to take olives belonging to Palestinians. They called the ruling “unfounded, very worrying and dangerous, and absolutely unacceptable.” They thanked Israeli President Isaac Herzog for his condemnation of the attack and noted that some rabbis had also rejected the claim.
Church leaders acknowledged that Israeli police had intervened and made arrests. They stressed, however, that assaults continue because those responsible still act with a sense of impunity. The statement called for sustained justice and urged the international community to protect the residents of Taybeh, communities across the West Bank, and visitors who come in solidarity.
Standing With Christians in Taybeh
The leaders renewed their support for the Christian community of Taybeh and for its churches. They pledged to preserve the Christian presence in the Holy Land and offered prayers for the safety of the faithful, for justice, and for peace in the land of Christ’s birth.