The Last Fully Christian Town in Palestine Faces Threat of Destruction

The town of Taybeh, located on the West Bank of the Jordan River and known as the last fully Christian town in Palestine, is currently facing a serious threat. According to testimonies from local residents and clergy, the Israeli administration is allowing violent actions by settlers that endanger not only the safety of the population but also the very existence of the community. This was reported by Catholic News Agency.

This ancient Gospel town, referred to in the Gospel of John as Ephraim — the place where Jesus withdrew before His Passion — now lives in an atmosphere of fear and constant danger. According to Catholic priest Bashar Fawadleh, the town has lost its peace: “We do not live in peace, but in daily fear and under siege.”

Incidents involving Israeli settlers are becoming increasingly frequent in Taybeh. Targets include residential homes, farmland, and the property of Christian families. Recently, settlers unlawfully built a new outpost on the eastern outskirts of the town, on the site of a destroyed farmhouse whose owners were forcibly removed some time ago.

This new outpost was established in a key agricultural zone spanning approximately 17,000 dunams (over 4,000 acres), which serves as a major economic lifeline for the residents of Taybeh. These incidents are not isolated: in 2019 and 2020, illegal settlements emerged around the town, often accompanied by arson, theft of equipment, and the deliberate release of livestock onto fields to destroy crops.

The situation has been particularly difficult during the olive harvest season. For the second year in a row, Christian families have been denied access to their own lands near the Israeli settlement of Rimmonim. Physical assaults on farmers have been reported, with around twenty families affected while attempting to reach their land.

It was also previously reported that Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had published, then deleted, an official condolence message regarding the death of Pope Francis. The move was linked to the Vatican’s critical stance on Israel’s military actions in Palestine, which the Pontiff condemned as “inhuman.”