West Bank Priest of last Christian village: “We live under constant fire from settlers”

TAYBEH, Holy Land — Taybeh, the last fully Christian village in the West Bank, is no longer safe as Jewish settlers continue their violent attacks on Palestinian villages and property in its surrounding area. “We live under constant fire from settlers, and under the crossfire of the Israeli occupation army,” Fr Bashar Fawadleh told AsiaNews. Since 2021, Fawadleh is the parish priest of the Christ the Redeemer Church—which falls under the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Christian Taybeh, population 1,300 and located 30 km north of Jerusalem and 15 km northeast of Ramallah, is the last Christian village surrounded by Palestinian villages and towns and several Jewish settlements. Fr Fawadleh noted that since October 2024, more than 10 families have left Taybeh because of the violence.

In recent days the Latin Catholic and Rûm residents of Taybeh have suffered from renewed settler attacks on Palestinian villages. On June 25, dozens of settlers attacked the nearby village of Kafr Malik. According to journalist Ihab Hassan, masked Jewish settlers, helped by the Israeli army, showed up armed at the village and set homes and cars on fire and shot on residents —killing 3 and injuring 9, including one critically.

The West Bank, which falls under the Palestinian Authority, has been in turmoil since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israel from Gaza. The current series of attacks comes after the Israel-Iran air war. Extremist Jewish settlers, who want Muslims and Christians out of the West Bank, which they see as part of their promised land, have recently stepped up their violent attacks.

According to Fr Bashar Fawadleh speaking to ACIMENA; “Yesterday [Wednesday] evening, settlers attacked homes in the Karamelo roundabout, an area at the eastern entrance to the village [of Taybeh]. The incident “coincided with an attack by dozens of settlers on the village of Kafr Malik, which is near us, and which led to the death of three martyrs and the burning of many vehicles and homes.”

“We are living in very difficult conditions, but we are not afraid to remain in our land. We are not afraid of those who kill,” added the clergyman. “We are a people who love our land and will never abandon it.”

How long the Israeli government, which includes extremist Jewish parties, will continue to protect extremist settlers is uncertain. What is certain is that not only Palestinians are victims of settler violence, but Christians too are being driven from their centuries-old habitats.