Priest warns of Christian exodus from West Bank village amid settler attacks

Father Bashar Fawadleh, the Roman Catholic parish priest of Taybeh, the last Christian village in the West Bank, has expressed deep concern over the exodus of Christians from his community due to ongoing attacks by illegal Israeli settlers. Over the past three years, 16 Christian families, totaling 75 people, along with dozens of individuals, have left the village, representing at least 10 percent of its 1,200 population. The priest described the situation as the village “bleeding people,” emphasizing that residents are fleeing due to threats and restrictions on their ability to access their land.

The attacks have targeted Christians harvesting olives, a vital part of the community’s livelihood. Father Fawadleh stated that the Christian population does not seek privileges but simply asks for basic human rights. He highlighted the challenges faced by residents, including being confined to their homes and unable to reach their land. His concerns are rooted in the growing threat posed by “fanatics and the fanatic mentality,” which he believes is driving the violence against Taybeh’s Christian community.

During a visit to London organized by the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Father Fawadleh aimed to raise awareness about the plight of Christian Palestinians in Taybeh. He planned to meet with MPs and peers to discuss the situation, though he refrained from commenting on the concurrent Israeli general election. His focus remained on the escalating violence and its impact on the village’s Christian residents.

The attacks on Taybeh have drawn international attention. On 17 October, masked assailants—alleged illegal Israeli settlers—attacked residents collecting olives, as well as a group of European diplomats and officials on a solidarity mission. Video footage showed the incident, in which a Belgian consulate car was damaged and a French mayor was injured. The Israel Defense Forces condemned the attack, and police are investigating. The event has underscored the vulnerability of the Christian community in the region.

In response, the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem issued a statement condemning a recently published religious ruling that allowed Jews to take the olives of Palestinians. They called the ruling “unfounded, very worrying and dangerous, and absolutely unacceptable,” while acknowledging that several rabbis and Jewish voices have publicly rejected it. The statement highlighted the “wide-scale terror” faced by Palestinian villages in the West Bank, with attacks reaching a peak in recent weeks.

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