Church leaders in Jerusalem condemn attacks on Christian community in Palestine

The Patriarchs and Heads of Christian Churches in Jerusalem visited the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George in the village of Taybeh, located in the West Bank, to express solidarity with the local community following a fire last week at the church and cemetery. This was reported by the Orthodox Times website.

In a joint statement, the church leaders described the incident as a threat to the Christian heritage of the region:
“These actions represent a direct and deliberate threat not only to the local community, but also to the historical and religious heritage of our forefathers and to our holy sites.”

The Christian leaders emphasized the growing number of such incidents and called for support for Christians in the region amid systematic attacks by radical extremists.

The statement noted that Christian presence in the area has continued for more than 2,000 years. At the same time, responsibility for the situation was placed on the Israeli authorities. The document stated that the authorities “allow and facilitate the presence of aggressive agitators in the city of Taybeh.”

Church leaders also called for an end to attacks on the Christian community in Taybeh and other towns in the West Bank, emphasizing that such acts are part of a broader pattern of persecution of Christians in the region.

Earlier, it was reported that three clergymen — Orthodox, Catholic, and Melkite — issued a public statement on the escalation of violence against the Christian community in Taybeh, which remains the last fully Christian town in Palestine. They called on international institutions and church bodies to intervene and document the crimes, which they say are becoming systematic.