Church leaders condemn Taybeh attack, ‘wide-scale terror’ by settlers

The heads of the historic churches in the Holy Land issue a joint condemnation of Saturday’s “heinous attack” by Jewish extremists in Taybeh in the West Bank, in which farmers and diplomatic officials were assaulted.

“This wild attack on the Christian village of Taybeh and against its peaceful population is not an isolated incident,” say the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem. “In the past weeks the Palestinian villages of the West Bank have been exposed to a wide-scale terror by settlers, which is reaching a peak during this time of the olive harvest.”

The church leaders note President Isaac Herzog’s condemnation of the attacks, the rejection by mainstream rabbis of Rabbi Dov Lior’s ruling that Jews can steal olives from Palestinian farmers, and some arrests made by police.

“Unfortunately, the facts on the ground show that these attacks continue because of the impunity enjoyed by those who commit them,” say the Christian leaders.

“We call upon the competent authorities to bring those responsible to justice, and we urge the international community to intensify its efforts to ensure the protection of the people of Taybeh and the West Bank, as well as all those who visit these areas to express their solidarity,” they say.