Condemnations of indiscriminate settler violence in the West Bank are mounting, particularly after extremists repeatedly targeted Taybeh, the last entirely Christian village in the West Bank, including burning the historic Church of St. George and its cemetery.
A “very detailed” dossier on the matter is about to be submitted to the Holy See, first for review by the Secretariat of State and then by the pope himself.
A representative of the Holy See visited Taybeh yesterday, accompanied by the patriarchs of various churches, as part of a solidarity mission. Among them was the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
“We have a representative of the Holy See here,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said. “He has provided a detailed report. The Vatican is very well informed, but I repeat: neither we nor anyone else has the power or the magic formula to immediately resolve these problems.”
“Throughout the West Bank, and not just here,” the Franciscan cardinal continued, “the only law that prevails now is that of power; the law of those who have might, not right. We must work to ensure that the rule of law returns here too, in this part of the country.”
Regarding the role of the Israeli army and police, who allegedly failed to intervene to stop the settlers, the Latin Patriarch, one of the most respected religious leaders in the Middle East, said:
“It’s very difficult for us to go into detail or provide definitive facts. Not all the people we see in military uniforms are actual soldiers; some could be volunteers. What we can say, however, is that the law is not being enforced, so we ask those in authority to ensure respect for everyone’s rights.”
Meanwhile, today the Franciscans of Assisi, the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need, and the Italian Catholic Action group all spoke out against the settlers’ violence. Even the Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano featured a front-page photo of the heads of Christian churches and diplomats gathered in Taybeh.
“These are cowardly attacks on unarmed people,” Father Ibrahim Faltas wrote in a Vatican media outlet today. Yet, he noted, “not a single word of vengeance or hatred has been heard, only the urgent plea for help to protect their peaceful lives in their land”.
“The recent massacre at the church in Damascus and what is happening in Taybeh and the West Bank,” he continued, “are not part of what some would like to portray as a religious war. It certainly hurts to see sacred places violated and outraged by violence, but we must first and foremost defend and protect the lives of innocent and defenceless human beings.”
The settlers’ goal remains consistent: through arson and looting, they aim to seize as much land as possible from its rightful owners.
In Taybeh, settlers recently erected a sign addressed to residents that reads, “There is no future for you here.”
“We called the coordination centre between the Palestinian and Israeli governments twice,” the parish priest said. “They said they were coming, but they never showed up. They didn’t protect us; they didn’t stop the settlers. That’s because they protect them. Many soldiers come from settler communities and are encouraged by fanatical elements in the government.”
Last Sunday, during Mass, Pope Leo XIV spoke of “peoples who have been stripped, robbed and plundered, victims of oppressive political systems, of an economy that forces them into poverty, of the war that kills their dreams and their lives.”
ANSA
