Priest in West Bank’s only Christian village speaks of Israeli ‘impunity’

The parish priest of the one Christian village within the West Bank has spoken of the increasing pressure being placed on the inhabitants each by official Israeli government actions in addition to attacks and intimidation by Israeli settlers.

The village of Taybeh has a population of around 1,400 people. On 6 February the Israeli government decided to exercise greater control of the West Bank, taking on the management of certain religious sites and increasing the variety of military checkpoints.

Father Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest of Taybeh, spoke to Aid to the Church in Need in regards to the realities of life on the bottom. He described recent Israeli moves as “essentially the most dangerous since 1967”, adding that many locals consider them to be a precursor to full annexation by Israel.

Both Gaza and the West Bank were occupied by Israel in consequence of the 1967 war with its neighbours. Neither territory is taken into account to be an element of Israel proper, excluding East Jerusalem, which was formally annexed in 1980, although no other countries accept the legitimacy of the annexation.

By exerting greater control over the West Bank, settlers are being encouraged to expand, Father Fawadleh argues.

“Settlers should buy more land and expand their outposts. This puts growing pressure on Palestinian towns and villages like ours,” he said. 

Taybeh has been the goal of frequent attacks by Israeli settlers, who’ve vandalised the village, attempted to burn down the church, torched cars and have damaged local olive groves by grazing their cattle and even setting fire to them. No arrests have been made.

As the olive groves are the first source of income for a lot of within the village , the attacks on them are making life increasingly difficult for the inhabitants. Already 16 families have emigrated and plenty of more are considering it.

Father Fawadleh, said of those considering leaving, “I also need to remind them that the Christian presence in Taybeh is a mission and a living testimony: that of a faith rooted on this land where Christianity was born.

“Leaving the land is typically a human necessity, but staying is commonly an act of religion and hope. Hope doesn’t deny the difficulties, nevertheless it reminds us that human dignity, justice, and peace remain possible.”

Father Fawadleh also said that he wished the international community and the worldwide church would do more to guard the people of Taybeh and their rights and convey those guilty of violence to justice.

“As the priest of Taybeh, I would really like to say to Christians around the globe that we’d like your solidarity. Taybeh will not be only a village; it’s a living sign of the Christian presence within the Holy Land,” he said.