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Church Leaders Condemn Settler Attack on Christian Village Taybeh
· Confirmed
In Short: 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 (PHCJ) issued a statement following attacks in and around Taybeh on October 16 and 17, when local residents were gathering olives during the annual harvest.
The statement condemned the 'heinous attack' carried out on October 17 by masked settlers in the Christian village of Taybeh, one of the last remaining Christian villages in the West Bank.
The attack occurred when a convoy of European diplomats from Belgium, Poland, and France, as well as Palestinian civilians, were ambushed by masked settlers.
The patriarchs and heads of Churches in Jerusalem said the 'wild attack' on Taybeh was 'not an isolated incident,' and warned that it forms part of a wider pattern of settler violence against Palestinian villages during the olive harvest.
The statement also condemned a recent assault on Palestinian farmers and European diplomats, urging protection for Taybeh’s Christian community.
The attack on Taybeh is part of a broader wave of violence, including an incident on July 7, 2025, when Israeli settlers deliberately set fire near the town’s cemetery and the historic Church of Saint George (Al-Khadr), dating back to the 5th century.
The United States and European diplomats have expressed concern over the recent attacks, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that the attack on Washington Post journalist Heidi Levine, who was severely beaten by masked Israeli settlers on October 16, was 'disturbing' and 'not a good look.'
The IDF also condemned the attack on Levine, calling it a 'severe act of violence' and said they were investigating.
The patriarchs and heads of Churches in Jerusalem also criticized a recent religious ruling allowing Jews to take the olives of Palestinians, calling it 'unfounded, very worrying and dangerous, and absolutely unacceptable.'
The Israeli government has a 'responsibility' to ensure the safety of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to a diplomat who visited the area in solidarity with the community.
The attacks have raised tensions and prompted calls for action to protect Palestinian communities and ensure the safety of foreign diplomats visiting the region.
What this adds
The attacks on Taybeh and other Palestinian villages during the olive harvest are part of a wider pattern of settler violence.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem have issued a statement condemning the attacks and calling for those responsible to be brought to justice.
The attacks have drawn international attention, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing concern over the recent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
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.
Violent protests have continued for six days in Albania's capital, Tirana, with Prime Minister Edi Rama refusing to resign despite growing unrest.
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.
What's still developing
- Israeli settlers targeted Belgium’s consul general, French and Polish diplomats and Catholic representatives, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said.
- 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.
- Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Turmus Aya in the occupied West Bank, said that Huckabee not only met local officials, “but also Palestinian Americans who live in the village of Turmus Aya and have been seeing firsthand the effects of settler pogroms and violence, part of the whole escalation by settlers in the occupied West Bank”.
- Heidi Levine sustained four fractured vertebrae, two broken ribs and four puncture wounds when she was knocked to the ground and repeatedly beaten by a crowd of masked settlers while she and other journalists were covering the olive harvest in the Palestinian village of Abu Falah, north of Ramallah.
- The United States has warned of a rise in alleged Iranian efforts to target American diplomats and officials overseas, with some suspected assassination plots reportedly reaching advanced stages.
- Iran accused France of “violent treatment” of the protesters and “extensive and flagrant human rights violations” during the demonstrations, which began late last month and have been accompanied by unrest.
- Austria's foreign ministry said on Friday it was expelling four Vienna-based Russian diplomats over "activities incompatible with their diplomatic status," a term usually used for spying.
- Ethiopia on Thursday ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours and said it was closing its embassy in Eritrea, sharply raising tensions between the neighbours.
- Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton wrote in an unclassified memo to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday that the U.S. "received intelligence that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel."