Israeli Settlers Siege West Bank Christian Village, Christians Fight Back

Arson Strikes Christian Village of Taybeh

During a pre‑dawn assault, Israeli settlers set fire to vehicles and sprayed threatening graffiti across the Palestinian Christian community of Taybeh, a village deep in the West Bank. The attack was reported by a witness, and the Palestinian Authority issued a statement blaming the “Israeli colonial settlers.”

Witness Accounts

• Jeries Azar, a Taybeh resident and journalist for Palestine TV, recounted seeing his car engulfed in flames. “I saw my car on fire, and they were throwing something toward the vehicle and the house,” Azar told AFP.
• Azar expressed terror, recalling the tragic 2015 incident in Duma where the Dawabsheh family, including a baby, burned to death. “My greatest fear was for my two‑year‑old son. After we escaped, he cried nonstop for an hour,” Azar said.
• Israeli soldiers surveyed the area post‑attack, while Israeli police and the military dispatched a unit to Taybeh. They reported “two burned Palestinian vehicles and graffiti.” No suspects were apprehended, but an investigation has been launched.

Graffiti and Retaliation

A photo shared by a Palestinian government agency showed a wall in Taybeh with the message: “Al‑Mughayyir, you will regret,” referencing a nearby village that was also attacked earlier in the year.

Official Condemnations

• The Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry condemned the attack, labeling it “settler terrorism.”
• Germany’s ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, condemned the action, stating, “These extremist settlers may claim that God gave them the land. But they are nothing but criminals abhorrent to any faith.”

Context and Recent Violence

Taybeh, home to about 1,300 mostly Christian Palestinians—many holding US dual citizenship—carries a reputation for its brewery, the oldest in the Palestinian territories. In recent months, settlers have attacked neighbouring communities, causing three deaths, damage to Palestinian water wells, and the displacement of at least one rural herding community. The village also endured an arson attack on an ancient Byzantine church.

Broader Settlement Dynamics

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. The territory hosts roughly three million Palestinians and around 700,000 Israeli settlers, including about 200,000 in East Jerusalem. Last week, 71 members of Israel’s 120‑seat parliament, the Knesset, passed a motion urging the government to annex the West Bank.