Residents of Taybeh, West Bank, Palestinian Territories, Live in Fear as Settler Attacks Continue

This autumn, for the fourth year running, residents of Taybeh, the West Bank’s last entirely Christian village, have not been able to harvest their olives. Ihab Hassan, a Palestinian Christian activist who grew up nearby and remains in close contact with residents, said, “Most of the land is out of reach. But, at the same time, Israeli settlers are roaming freely.”

In August, following months of settler attacks, the Israeli government declared Taybeh a “closed military zone.” According to the source, the government said the move aimed to protect residents after repeated incidents of settler violence. Hassan said that in practice the restrictions “just apply to Palestinians, while the settlers continue to go wherever they want.”

The designation also affects visitors. Hassan said that pilgrims, journalists and other outsiders are unable to enter the village, which he described as cutting off a crucial lifeline to the outside world. Bishop James Curry, Lead Bishop for the Holy Land for the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, raised similar concerns in a statement over the summer. “I was deeply alarmed to hear that Taybeh has been declared a closed military zone,” he said. He added that it was “far from clear that this move will achieve that objective,” and that the ban would lead to a loss of income from tourism and pilgrimages, and thereby reduce international scrutiny of the situation.

The source reports further incidents over the summer. Palestinian Christian Bashir Kuna was forced to flee his newly built home on the outskirts of Taybeh a week after moving in. Settlers have also continued attacks on a quarry operated by Roland Basir, putting it out of operation. Hassan said residents “live in fear,” and noted that many have already emigrated. Of the 1,200 remaining inhabitants, he said, around 200 are considering leaving.

The attacks, according to the source, have not been confined to Taybeh. In Birzeit, a house belonging to the Christian Abed family has been demolished and the family’s land razed. Attacks have also continued on Muslim villages across the West Bank. “These attackers do not discriminate,” Hassan said. “Muslim or Christian, if you live near one of their settlements, you are at risk.” Protecting those who are most exposed is a matter of justice for every neighbor (Psalm 82:3).

Hassan is working with the Save West Bank Christians campaign, which, the source says, highlights the “existential” threat posed by illegal Israeli settlements to the Holy Land’s Christian communities. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the situation in the West Bank at both the political level and among the general public. “We want people to know what’s at stake,” Hassan said. “These communities have been there for 2,000 years. If they disappear, it will be a tragedy not just for Christians but for the entire region.”