Patr. Theophilos, Holy Land Church Leaders Condemn Israeli Settler Violence in West Bank Christian Village

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem (center right) and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa (center left) participate in a prayer ceremony. Photo: Times of Israel

TAYBEH — In a show of solidarity, senior Christian leaders in the Holy Land on Monday condemned a recent wave of Israeli settler violence targeting Taybeh, the only fully Christian Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank.

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa visited the village and denounced last week’s arson attack near the Church of St. George, accusing Israeli authorities of failing to respond to urgent calls for help.

Calling for a formal investigation and accountability for those "who facilitate and enable their presence around Taybeh," the patriarchs alleged that settlers have set fire to homes, grazed cattle on Palestinian farmland, and erected signs telling residents “there is no future for you here.”

Pizzaballa, the top Catholic cleric in Jerusalem, warned that the West Bank is descending into lawlessness: “The only law is that of power,  of those who have the force, not the law.”

Patriarchs Theophilos and Pizzaballa prayed together in the Church of St. George, which has been recently targeted in the alleged arson incidents. 

The visit and joint prayer by the patriarchs came amid a broader escalation of violence linked to the war in Gaza, with rising settler attacks, Israeli military operations, and Palestinian militant activity contributing to growing instability across the region.

Previously, UOJ reported that an American citizen was killed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank town of Sinjil.

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