Israel is under continual attack and terroristic threat. But some Israeli West Bank settlers are engaging in violence of their own, against a Christian Palestinian village called Taybeh, the last wholly Christian town in the West Bank and, historically, the place to which Jesus withdrew (Ephraim) before his Passion according to the Gospel of Saint John.

Three village priests — 0ne Greek Orthodox, one Catholic, and one Melchite Greek Catholic — have issued a public letter begging for help:

On Monday, July 7, 2025, settlers deliberately set fire near the town’s cemetery and the historic Church of Saint George (Al-Khadr), dating back to the 5th century — one of the oldest religious landmarks in Palestine. Were it not for the vigilance of local residents and the swift intervention of firefighting teams, the damage could have been far more catastrophic.

In a scene that has become provocatively routine, settlers continue to graze their cattle in Taybeh’s agricultural lands, including family-owned fields and areas near residential homes, without deterrence or intervention from the authorities. These violations go beyond provocation; they cause direct harm to olive trees — a vital source of livelihood for the people of Taybeh — and prevent farmers from accessing and cultivating their land.

I know that some Israelis want to annex this area and take complete control of what is known as Judea and Samaria. That’s a decidedly sticky wicket and beyond the scope of this post. But whatever the merits of that intention, the actions of these West Bank settlers are inexcusable.

The priests ask for the following help:

We call upon local and international actors — especially consuls, ambassadors, and church representatives around the world — to take the following actions:

1. Launch an immediate and transparent investigation into the incidents of arson and the ongoing assaults on property, agricultural land, and holy sites.
2. Apply diplomatic pressure on the occupying authorities to halt settler actions and prevent them from entering or grazing in Taybeh’s lands.
3. Dispatch international and church delegations to conduct field visits, document the damages, and bear witness to the deteriorating reality on the ground.
4. Support the people of Taybeh through economic and agricultural initiatives, and strengthen their resilience with effective legal accompaniment.

They close in faith and hope:

We believe that the Holy Land cannot remain alive without its indigenous people. Forcibly removing farmers from their land, threatening their churches, and encircling their towns is a wound to the living heart of this nation. Yet we remain steadfast in our shared faith and hope — that truth and justice will ultimately prevail.

Israel is a remarkable country. But allowing these attacks to continue betrays Israel’s founding values. (The same would be true if the village were Muslim.) From Israel’s Declaration of Establishment (1948):

THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

I hope that President Trump pressures Prime Minister Netanyahu to put a stop to the attacks on Taybeh. This is an issue of religious freedom and of human rights. And from a purely practical point of view, these inexcusable assaults provide political ammunition to Israel’s enemies in their quest to isolate the country.