A strategy ‘to make life intolerable’: Israeli settlers are driving Christians out of West Bank. The Taybeh community has survived crusaders and the Ottoman and British empires, but the latest attacks leave its future in question

Men stand near a vehicle that was reportedly torched by Israeli settlers during an overnight attack on the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh, northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, on July 28, 2025 Photograph: Zain Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images

 Julian Borger in Taybeh

Sun 5 Apr 2026 

Taybeh, a small hilltop town in the heart of the West Bank is one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. After increasing attacks from Israeli settlers it now feels itself under siege and is fighting for its very existence.

The town’s ancient Greek name was Ephraim where, according to the gospels, Jesus hid with his disciples from the Jewish religious hierarchy, the Sanhedrin, before making his final fateful trip to Jerusalem.

A church was built here in the fifth century, and the entirely Christian community survived the crusaders, conquest by Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub or Saladin, the Ottoman empire, the British empire, and three Arab-Israeli wars, but its inhabitants say its long-term future is in question.

There are four substantial Israeli settlements around Taybeh, and countless unofficial outposts have also sprung up on the steep hills overlooking the Jordan valley. They have been set up by messianic Jews who send their young people, the “hilltop youth”, to harass and intimidate local Palestinians in the surrounding countryside.

The relentless land grabs and intimidation is a pattern repeated up and down the West Bank in a campaign the UN has called ethnic cleansing, which has been driven by hardline members of the ruling coalition, the finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, and the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir.

 “First they kicked the Bedouin out in the last three years and put up their caravans and bring their cows and sheep. They are using the land without any permission from the owners and from ourselves,” said Father Bashar Fawadleh, the parish priest of Christ the Redeemer church.... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/05/israeli-settlers-driving-christians-out-west-bank

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Do Not Let Palestinian Christians Become a Memory of the Past: The last entirely Christian village in the West Bank, Taybeh, east of Ramallah, has been enduring a wave of attacks and intimidation by Israeli settlers. Hostile acts include setting fire to agricultural lands, cars and the walls of an ancient church, hateful and threatening graffiti, livestock released into the village, not to mention the numerous military checkpoints at the entrances to the town.

 https://acninternational.org/taybeh-do-not-let-palestinian-christians-become-a-memory-of-the-past/

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Taybeh: Do Not Let Palestinian Christians Become a Memory of the Past

Palestine Interviews

March 12, 2026

The last entirely Christian village in the West Bank, Taybeh, east of Ramallah, has been enduring a wave of attacks and intimidation by Israeli settlers. Hostile acts include setting fire to agricultural lands, cars and the walls of an ancient church, hateful and threatening graffiti, livestock released into the village, not to mention the numerous military checkpoints at the entrances to the town.

On February 8, 2026, the Israeli government adopted an administrative decision strengthening the authority of its civil and military administration over land and real estate in the West Bank.

In an interview with Aid to the Church in Need, the priest of the Latin parish, Father Bashar Fawadleh, speaks of “mounting pressure” on the 1,400 souls of the village, as well as “lack of protection.”

What was your reaction to the February 8, 2026 decision strengthening Israeli control in the West Bank?

The Israeli government’s security cabinet made a very serious decision regarding the West Bank, strengthening its direct control over this territory. This decision is considered one of the most dangerous since 1967 and many people see it as the beginning of an official annexation of the West Bank.

First, many administrative and civil responsibilities are being transferred to Israeli institutions, even in areas that were supposed to be under Palestinian management. The expansion of settlements is being encouraged. Settlers can buy more land and expand their outposts. This puts growing pressure on Palestinian towns and villages like ours. Israel is also taking full control of important religious sites, notably the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron [built over the Tomb of the Patriarchs]. The Palestinian authorities are losing their role there, and this affects the religious and cultural rights of the inhabitants. Finally, demolitions of homes and movement restrictions are increasing. Towns and villages are being isolated from one another.

What does this mean for a village like Taybeh?

This decision directly affects people’s daily lives, which are becoming more difficult. Families are losing their homes. Workers can no longer go to their jobs. Students struggle to get to school. Farmers can no longer access their lands.

For years, the inhabitants of Taybeh have suffered attacks from neighbouring settlers: destruction of agricultural land as recently as February, burning of property, and preventing farmers from accessing their olive trees, which are their main source of income. On 28 February, settlers entered land belonging to a family and stole a horse and its foal. Furthermore, the regional context – marked notably by the war in Gaza – continues to have profound repercussions on the West Bank. The general climate has become more fragile and tense, with an increase in military operations, traffic restrictions due to the installation of military gates at several entrances to the city, including a new one about two weeks ago. Israeli forces control when they are opened and closed, disrupting the daily lives of civilians.

With this new Israeli decision of February 2026, the pressure will increase even further. Settlement expansion threatens agricultural lands. The lack of protection leaves residents without legal support. The violence creates a climate of fear and insecurity.

All this has led many Christians in the Holy Land to consider emigration. What message do you have for them? How do you encourage those who remain?

Unfortunately, the idea of emigration is increasingly present in people’s minds. Several families have already left Taybeh – 16 between 2023 and 2025 – and others are seriously considering it, especially because of the insecurity and the lack of economic prospects.

The history of Taybeh speaks of empty houses, lost lands, broken communities, and the progressive disappearance of Christians from their historic land. As a priest and pastor, my message is first and foremost one of understanding and closeness: I understand the fear, and the responsibility of parents toward their children.

But I also want to remind them that the Christian presence in Taybeh is a mission and a living testimony: that of a faith rooted in this land where Christianity was born. Leaving the land is sometimes a human necessity, but staying is often an act of faith and hope. Hope does not deny the difficulties, but it reminds us that human dignity, justice, and peace remain possible. The Christians of the Holy Land want to continue to be artisans of dialogue, peace, and an evangelical presence in the heart of this wounded region.

However, to encourage those who remain, we need concrete support: creating jobs, accompanying young people, strengthening parish solidarity, and making every family feel that they are not alone.

What role do you hope for from the international community, the universal Church, and international Christian organizations?

As a priest on the ground, I expect the international community to visit us, document the incidents and to take clear action to guarantee the safety of civilians, access to agricultural lands and sources of income, the protection of places of worship, and an end to impunity.

I expect from the universal Church a strong and constant voice in favor of the Christians of the Holy Land, as well as pastoral and material support to help families stay on their land.

Finally, I expect from international Christian organizations, such as Aid to the Church in Need, essential support through concrete projects in the fields of education, housing, employment, and psychological and spiritual support.

Fr Bashar celebrating mass in Taybeh, the last fully Christian village in the West Bank

What message would you like to send to Christians around the world?

As the priest of Taybeh, I would like to say to Christians around the world that we need your solidarity. Taybeh is not just a village; it is a living sign of the Christian presence in the Holy Land.

Pray for us, but also support us through your actions, your commitment, and your testimony. Help us ensure that the Christians of this land remain a living community, rooted in faith, and not a mere memory of the past. Thank you again for your support and your prayers for the communities of the Holy Land.

 https://acninternational.org/taybeh-do-not-let-palestinian-christians-become-a-memory-of-the-past/

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The only entirely Christian village of the West Bank is getting ready to celebrate the Lord's coming in an atmosphere halfway between the joy of the festivity and the fear of new attacks by Israeli colonists.

Taybeh village

 

The old Melkite Greek church in Taybeh

 By Jean-Charles Putzolu   

22/12/2025

A few days before Christmas, Israeli authorities announced the creation of 19 new colonies in the West Bank. A measure introduced by the Israeli government to prevent “the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state”.

In a context of growing colonisation following the October 7 Hamas attacks near the Gaza Strip, 69 colonies have been established in the last three years in the West Bank.

It is in this climate of tension that Palestinian Christians are getting ready to celebrate Christmas.

In Taybeh, the only entirely Christian village in the West Bank, settler attacks are common.

Over the past few weeks, five cars have been set on fire, according to Father Bashar Fawadleh, Latin priest of the village.

Last June, a massive fire ravaged farmland, blackening the perimeter walls of the ruins of an ancient Melkite Greek church not far from residential blocks.

Locals spoke out against a sort of impunity for the author of these acts and pointed out the delay in the Israeli army's response, which is responsible for security.

A tried and tested method

With each new settlement establishment, West bankers face the same situation all over again: burnt lands, the arrival of herds of cows or sheep, the first caravans and bungalows, a clearly visible Israeli flag and then the first constructions.

Here’s how, over the space of a few months, new settlements were built, often atop the hills, before spreading into Palestinian territory.

In Taybeh, Christian leaders decided not to respond with violence to acts of intimidation.

“We will resist peacefully”, said Jack Nobel, priest of Taybeh’s Melkite Greek church parish.

So far, none of the villagers have been killed or injured. In the mainly Muslim neighbouring villages, violent actions have caused casualties.

Everybody fears that something tragic might happen in Taybeh as well.

The village’s Catholic and Orthodox officials strive to teach not to use violence in their schools.

Christmas stronger than fear

Despite this backdrop, the joyful expectation of Christmas prevails. During last Sunday’s Mass, the priest of the Latin parish of Taybeh received a small French delegation.

Bishop Hughues de Woillemont, director of The Ouvre d’Orient, Jean Yves Tolot, president of the same organisation and Father Christophe Le Sourt, general secretary of France’s episcopal conference, gave their support to Taybeh Christians and celebrated with them the Nativity of the Lord.

Along with other associations, The Œuvre d’Orient provides funding to projects aiming at the sustainment of local Christian communities.

Due to the lack of work and future prospects, the fear of Christians leaving town is a significant issue.

In the past two years, 15 families left Taybeh in search of a better life abroad, Father Fawadeh clarified. Another Melkite family will leave the village before the end of the year.

Gradually, this Palestinian community of 1400 residents is shrinking.

Last Sunday morning, about a hundred people took part in the Eucharist in the village’s Latin church.

A crib sits at the foot of the altar, on the windows, light garlands invite the faithful to take in the joy of the moment and to forget, at Christmas time, threats to the future of Christians in the lands of Christ.

Last Sunday's Mass in Taybeh

 https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2025-12/christmas-west-bank-gaza-palestine.html

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Christmas joy eases fear for future in West Bank Christian village

Read also

Israel allows 19 new settlements in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces raze Palestinian farmland in West Bank's Jenin area  (ANSA)

Settlement activity has accelerated under Israel’s current right-wing coalition, which includes parties opposed to Palestinian statehood and supportive of expanding Israeli control over the West Bank.

Palestinian officials condemned the move, warning that it undermines prospects for a two-state solution and heightens tensions on the ground.

Western governments have repeatedly urged Israel to halt settlement expansion.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit called the approvals illegitimate and a violation of international law. He said the decision defies global consensus against settlement activity.

For his part, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also criticized Israel’s settlement policy, saying it restricts Palestinian access to land and threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state.

Under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal.

 https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2025-12/israel-west-bank-settlements-palestinian-statehood.html

LA Times: In the West Bank’s last Christian village, faith, fear and an uncertain future

The Church of St. George, a Byzantine structure, has drawn tourists to Taybeh, the last wholly Palestinian Christian village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

(Maya Alleruzzo / For The Times)

By Nabih Bulos  Foreign Correspondent 

Photography by  Maya Alleruzzo/For The Times

Nov. 6, 2025

• Taybeh, the last entirely Palestinian Christian village in the occupied West Bank, confronts settler violence and possible economic collapse.
• ‘If we don’t get support soon,’ says the town’s deputy mayor, ‘we’ll be extinct.’
• A U.N. agency has tallied more than 1,000 attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank so far this year.

TAYBEH, West Bank — “Come visit Taybeh,” begins the brochure touting the touristic attractions here, the last entirely Palestinian Christian village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Though it counts Jesus among its many visitors over the years, said Khaldoon Hanna, Taybeh’s avuncular deputy mayor, these days “no one is coming.”

He sighed as he looked around the restaurant he owns on the village’s Main Street. It felt abandoned, with little trace of activity in the kitchen and a layer of dust coating most tables. Only one faucet worked in the bathroom, but it didn’t feel worth it to repair the rest.

“In the last two years, I haven’t had more than 20 tourists come in here,” Hanna said.

How could they, Hanna said, when you have to negotiate a growing gantlet of Israeli roadblocks just to get here? Or face off emboldened settlers who make increasing forays into the village to burn cars or destroy property... READ MORE  https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-11-06/taybeh-profile-of-palestinian-christian-town-hed-tk

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Patriarchs and heads of local churches of Jerusalem are gravely troubled by the prevailing climate of Israeli impunity & settler violence

Munther Isaac منذر اسحق

@MuntherIsaac

Palestinian Christian Theologian. Evangelical Lutheran Pastor in Palestine. Director of Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice and Christ at the Checkpoint

Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible, and the Genocide in Gaza Kindle Edition

 
 

 

"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

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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.