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Church Leaders Condemn Attacks on Palestinian Village During Olive Harvest
· Confirmed
In Short: The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a statement on October 19, condemning the 'heinous attack' on the Christian village of Taybeh, which occurred on October 17, during the olive harvest.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a statement on October 19, condemning the 'heinous attack' on the Christian village of Taybeh, which occurred on October 17, during the olive harvest.
The statement came after masked Israeli settlers targeted local residents and European diplomats, including Belgian, Polish, and French officials, as they gathered olives in the village.
Father Daoud Khoury of the Greek Orthodox Church, Father Jacques-Noble Abed of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, and Father Bashar Fawadleh of the Roman Catholic Church, all from Taybeh, issued a separate statement about a previous incident on July 7, 2025, when settlers set fire near the town’s cemetery and the historic Church of Saint George.
The church leaders expressed concern over the recent religious ruling allowing Jews to take the olives of Palestinians, calling it 'unfounded, very worrying and dangerous, and absolutely unacceptable.'
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem urged the competent authorities to bring those responsible for the attacks to justice and called on the international community to intensify efforts to protect Palestinians in the West Bank.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concern over the recent attacks, while former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee met with Palestinian American residents in Turmus Aya who described the impact of settler violence on their lives.
Heidi Levine, a Washington Post journalist, was severely beaten by masked settlers on October 16 while covering the olive harvest in Abu Falah, sustaining multiple injuries.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) condemned the violence and said they were investigating the incidents.
Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, was also violently attacked while harvesting olives near Taybeh in solidarity with the local community.
The attacks have raised concerns about the safety of Palestinians and foreign diplomats in the occupied West Bank, with church leaders urging the Israeli government to take action.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem emphasized that the attacks are not isolated incidents but part of a wider pattern of settler violence during the olive harvest season.
What this adds
The attacks on Taybeh and other Palestinian villages during the olive harvest have drawn international attention and condemnation.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem have previously condemned similar attacks, highlighting the ongoing issue of settler violence in the West Bank.
Background
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem condemned the attack on Taybeh, calling it a 'heinous attack' and warning that it forms part of a wider pattern of settler violence against Palestinian villages during the olive harvest.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem condemned the attack on Taybeh, calling it a 'heinous attack' and warning that it forms part of a wider pattern of settler violence against Palestinian villages during the olive harvest.
What's confirmed
- The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem (PHCJ) issued the statement following attacks in and around Taybeh on 16th and 17th October, when local residents were gathering olives during the annual harvest.
- The previous day, October 16, Washington Post journalist Heidi Levine was severely beaten by masked Israeli settlers as she was covering the olive harvest in the West Bank village of Abu Falah.
- The patriarchs and heads of Churches in Jerusalem have issued a statement firmly condemning the “heinous attack” carried out on Saturday, October 17, by “masked settlers” in the Christian village of Taybeh.
- In a statement released Oct. 20 by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the patriarchs and heads of the Churches in Jerusalem said the "wild attack" in Taybeh, one of the last remaining Christian villages in the West Bank, was "not an isolated incident."
- The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem have condemned an attack on the Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice In a joint statement issued on Monday, October 19, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem condemned an attack on the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh on Saturday, October 17, during which masked settlers targeted local residents harvesting olives and foreign visitors, including European diplomats and officials who were visiting the area in solidarity with the community.
- “We very much appreciate that several rabbis and Jewish voices have publicly rejected it.” On 19th October Israeli authorities arrested several suspects in a pre-dawn operation on suspicion of involvement in acts of violence, violating a closed military zone order and illegal construction who were taken into custody.
What's still developing
- The recent wave of Israeli settler attacks — burning fields, threatening holy sites, and attacking private property against the Palestinian Christian village of Al-Taybeh — should come as no surprise.
- With a week to go before a closely fought election, it seems Netanyahu is treading lightly on the settler attacks in order to avoid alienating political allies whose support he will need after the ballots are counted.
- New York House candidate Brad Lander was detained for a short period by the Israeli military while visiting a Palestinian village in the West Bank, he said.
- The overwhelming majority of Israelis living beyond the Green Line are not storming Palestinian villages or taking over homes.
- According to testimonies, seven masked settlers surrounded the diplomatic vehicle and demanded identification documents before attacking the car.
- Trump issued what he called his “Complete and Total Endorsement” of Netanyahu on Sunday, describing him as a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and praising his partnership with the United States against Iran.
- "Attacking a female photographer is a despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards," Huckabee wrote on X, taking a far stronger tone than an earlier statement from Washington.