Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 14, 2025
3 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleChristian leaders accuse Israeli settlers of attacking sacred sites in the West Bank, raising fears and prompting calls for investigation.
By Charlotte Greenfield and Ali Sawafta
TAYBEH, West Bank (Reuters) -Christian leaders accused Israeli settlers on Monday of attacking sacred sites in the West Bank, in violence that one said was forcing some to consider quitting the occupied territory.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III - visiting the Christian town of Taybeh with other Jerusalem-based clerics - said settlers had started a fire near a cemetery and a 5th century church there last week.
"These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community ... but also to the historic and religious heritage," the patriarch told diplomats and journalists at a press conference in Taybeh.
Settlers had also attacked homes in the area, he said.
"We call for an immediate and transparent investigation on why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished," he added.
Israel's government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Israel's government had previously said that any acts of violence by civilians are unacceptable and that individuals should not take the law into their own hands.
During the visit, the heads of the churches led locals in prayer as candles flickered in the ruins of the 5th century church of St George. They spoke with residents who described their fears.
B'Tselem and other rights groups say settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023.
Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank.
Palestinian health authorities and witnesses said two men, including a U.S. citizen, were killed by settlers during a confrontation on Friday night.
Fears over violence were pushing Christians to leave the West Bank, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Roman Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020, said.
"Unfortunately, the temptation to emigrate is there because of the situation," he added. "This time it's very difficult to see how and when this will finish, and especially for the youth to talk about hope, trust for the future."
Around 50,000 Christian Palestinians live in Jerusalem and in the West Bank, an area that includes many of the faith's most sacred sites including Bethlehem where believers say Jesus was born.
Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war, which Palestinians see as part of a future state.
(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield and Ali Sawafta in Taybeh; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Christian leaders accused Israeli settlers of attacking sacred sites in the West Bank, including starting a fire near a cemetery and a 5th-century church.
Local Christian leaders expressed fears that violence is forcing some community members to consider emigration due to the ongoing threats to their safety and heritage.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem called for an immediate and transparent investigation into why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community.
Rights groups, including B'Tselem, report that settler violence in the West Bank has increased since the start of Israel's war against Hamas in late 2023.
Around 50,000 Christian Palestinians live in Jerusalem and the West Bank, which includes many of the faith's most sacred sites.
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