Israeli settler terrorists are attacking the Christian village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank, blocking its entrance and preventing residents from entering or leaving the town

Ihab Hassan

@IhabHassane

 

BREAKING: Israeli settler terrorists are attacking the Christian village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank, blocking its entrance and preventing residents from entering or leaving the town.  https://x.com/IhabHassane/status/1979953695962874182

William Dalrymple

 

@DalrympleWill

 

I've spent time in the wonderful Christian village of Taybeh on the West Bank, which was again attacked by Israeli Settlers this weekend. This was my report for @nybooks : Disappearing Christians | William Dalrymple | The New York Review of Books https://share.google/pUYAPvG2zDRkmf

September 25, 2003 issue 

Disappearing Christians

William Dalrymple

 

“The first thing that you notice about Taybeh as you drive in is that the village is full of churches: it is in fact one of the last villages around here still dominated by Palestinian Christians.”

Taybeh is a small Palestinian village in the West Bank, ten miles northwest of Jerusalem. The farmhouses that you pass on the road there, the domes of the abandoned caravanserai, the minarets of Ottoman mosques—all are built of honey-colored limestone which changes tone according to the color of the sky. Shepherd boys lead their flocks down steep olive slopes into the strip fields of the valleys; it could almost be Tuscany. Only the concrete phalanx of fast-expanding Israeli settlements on the hilltops reminds you where you are, and brings you back to the tensions and violence that are inescapable here. With their towering cranes and half-built apartment blocks and long lines of solar panels glinting on their roofs, the settlements are surrounded by swarms of yellow bulldozers ripping through the ancient landscape. At the settlement gates sit nests of razor wire, the fortified emplacements of the Israeli army.  https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2003/09/25/disappearing-christians/

 

From the Holy Mountain: A Journey among the Christians of the Middle East

by William Dalrymple (Author) 

 

William Dalrymple sets off to retrace their footsteps

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The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community during a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Australia...

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 Ihab Hassan

@IhabHassane

 

https://x.com/IhabHassane/status/2000253635964322062 

 

BREAKING: The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community during a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Australia. 

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates strongly condemns the terrorist attack that took place in the Australian city of Sydney, which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries. 

 

The Ministry affirms the full solidarity of the State of Palestine and its standing alongside friendly Australia—its government and people—during this painful tragedy. 

 

It reiterates its firm rejection of all forms of violence, terrorism, and extremism, which contradict human values, moral principles, and the teachings of all heavenly religions that call for peace, respect for human life, and the rejection of hatred and extremism. 

 

The Ministry extends its sincerest condolences and sympathy to the government and people of Australia, and to the families of the victims of this criminal attack, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

Today’s Mass at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza — the first day of the ceasefire, 736 days of nonstop prayers and unshakable faith.

Today’s Mass at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza — the first day of the ceasefire, 736 days of nonstop prayers and unshakable faith. 

@IhabHassane

"This ceasefire is just the beginning of a long road ahead, a road toward a future free from both the occupation and Hamas. No more being dragged into wars or turned into pawns in the games of others. For too long, Palestinians have been caught between oppression and exploitation, crushed by occupation, silenced by militias, and spoken for by those who never cared to listen. That chapter must end here. The only path forward is rebuilding our nation and working toward a two-state solution where Palestinians and Israelis can live side by side, in freedom, dignity, and peace. What remains is the hard, honest work of building a real future, one shaped not by slogans or weapons, but by the will of a people who have suffered enough and still dare to hope." Ihab Hassan

https://x.com/IhabHassane/status/1976125800979042626 

"This ceasefire is just the beginning of a long road ahead, a road toward a future free from both the occupation and Hamas. 

No more being dragged into wars or turned into pawns in the games of others. 

For too long, Palestinians have been caught between oppression and exploitation, crushed by occupation, silenced by militias, and spoken for by those who never cared to listen. That chapter must end here. 

The only path forward is rebuilding our nation and working toward a two-state solution where Palestinians and Israelis can live side by side, in freedom, dignity, and peace. 

What remains is the hard, honest work of building a real future, one shaped not by slogans or weapons, but by the will of a people who have suffered enough and still dare to hope."

Ihab Hassan

@IhabHassane

Palestinian Christian | Human rights activist | MA in Human Rights

@catholicuniv

| Director of Human Rights Project

@Agoradotorg

| views are my own.

Washington, DC | Ramallah

 

 

GAZA:

 734 days.

67,183 killed.

169,841 injured.

83% of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed.

90% of its buildings reduced to rubble.

296 schools wiped out.

All universities destroyed.

134 hospitals and health centers reduced to ruins.

Over 1.6 million people left homeless and displaced.

"Radical Israelis from nearby settlements intentionally set fire near the town’s cemetery and the Church of Saint George, which dates back to the 5th century. Taybeh is the last remaining all-Christian town in the West Bank. These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community first and foremost, but also to the historic and religious heritage of our ancestors and holy sites. In the face of such threats, the greatest act of bravery is to continue to call this your home. We stand with you, we support your resilience, and you have our prayers. The Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches calls for these radicals to be held accountable by the Israeli authorities, who facilitate and enable their presence around Taybeh."

Cardinal Pizzaballa stood alongside the other church patriarchs today in the Christian village of Taybeh, in the West Bank. 

 The visit comes in response to a series of violent attacks by Israeli settlers on the village, including set fire to St. George Church and the Christian cemetery.

Part of their statment: "'Radical Israelis from nearby settlements intentionally set fire near the town’s cemetery and the Church of Saint George, which dates back to the 5th century. Taybeh is the last remaining all-Christian town in the West Bank. These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community first and foremost, but also to the historic and religious heritage of our ancestors and holy sites. In the face of such threats, the greatest act of bravery is to continue to call this your home. We stand with you, we support your resilience, and you have our prayers.

The Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches calls for these radicals to be held accountable by the Israeli authorities, who facilitate and enable their presence around Taybeh." 

Fr. Bashar Fawadleh, the parish priest of the Church of Christ the Redeemer in Taybeh stated that more than 10 Christian families have already left the village due to fear of ongoing violence and harassment by settlers.

Ihab Hassan  "To our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world: Speaking out against Israeli settler terrorism in the West Bank— which also targets the Christian community—is not a political stance; it’s a moral one."

@IhabHassane

Statement of the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem during the Solidarity Visit to Taybeh

July 14 2025

We, the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem, are here today in Taybeh in solidarity with the local community following an intensifying trend of systemic and targeted attacks against them and their presence. We ask for the prayers, attention, and action of the world, particularly that of Christians globally.

On Monday, 7 July 2025, radical Israelis from nearby settlements intentionally set fire near the town’s cemetery and the Church of Saint George, which dates back to the 5th century. Taybeh is the last remaining all-Christian town in the West Bank. These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community first and foremost, but also to the historic and religious heritage of our ancestors and holy sites. In the face of such threats, the greatest act of bravery is to continue to call this your home. We stand with you, we support your resilience, and you have our prayers.

We give thanks for the local residents and firefighters for extinguishing the fire before our holy sites were destroyed, but we join voices with the local priests - Greek Orthodox, Latin, and Melkite Greek Catholic - issuing a clear plea for support in the face of repeated, systematic attacks from these radicals, which are only growing more frequent.
In recent months, the radicals have led their cattle to graze on the farms of Christians on the east side of Taybeh - the agricultural area - rendering them inaccessible at best but at worst damaging the olive groves that families depend on. Last month, several homes were attacked by these radicals, lighting fires and erecting a billboard that said, translated into English, “there is no future for you here”.

The Church has had a faithful presence in this region for nearly 2,000 years. We firmly reject this message of exclusion and reaffirm our commitment to a Holy Land that is a mosaic of different faiths, living peacefully together in dignity and safety.... READ MORE  https://www.lpj.org/en/news/statement-of-the-patriarchs-and-heads-of-the-churches-in-jerusalem-dur

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine, or at least fair and just laws and policies]

 

 

2025-07-08 Israeli settlers set fire to the St. George Monastery and the Christian cemetery in the Christian village of Taybeh, West Bank—one of the oldest Christian sites in Palestine.

Israeli settlers set fire to the St. George Monastery and the Christian cemetery in the Christian village of Taybeh, West Bank—one of the oldest Christian sites in Palestine.

 

Ihab Hassan

@IhabHassane

Christian families from the Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank shared these photos of Israeli settlers storming their property, herding their cows through their land—and today, these settlers set fire to the St. George Monastery and the Christian cemetery.

 

Settlers' Fires Threaten Taybeh’s Heritage: Priests Urge Immediate International Intervention

2025-07-08

 

https://nabd10.ps/en/news/settlers-fires-threaten-taybehs-heritage-priests-urge-immediate-international-intervention 

Taybeh - "Nabd ElHaya" – In a statement released today, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, the priests of the Churches of Taybeh – Latin, Melkite Greek Catholic, and Greek Orthodox – issued a clear call to the world, expressing deep concern over the increasing and repeated attacks, documented by Israeli settlers, targeting the town's land, holy sites, and properties, amid official silence that exacerbates the sense of danger and lack of protection.

On behalf of themselves, the townspeople, and their parishioners, the priests strongly condemned these attacks, which threaten the security and stability of Taybeh, as well as targeting the dignity of its residents and the sanctity of its land.

The statement, signed by Father Daoud Khoury, Father Jack-Nobel Abed, and Father Bashar Fawadleh, described the situation in the town as "a series of dangerous, systematic attacks" that no longer just threaten the town’s security, but are directly aimed at undermining the dignity of its Christian residents and disrupting their historic and religious heritage.... READ MORE  https://nabd10.ps/en/news/settlers-fires-threaten-taybehs-heritage-priests-urge-immediate-international-intervention

Munther Isaac منذر اسحق

 

@MuntherIsaac

 

The full letter of the urgent appeal from the priests of Taybeh in the wake of the increased settlers attacks on the village. 

 

@GovMikeHuckabee   any response about the pleas of your siblings in Christ? This is the result of your "Judea and Samaria" policy: total immunity to settler violence.