Attacks by masked Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank have been condemned by the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem — including the leaders of Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Churches.
The Oct. 19 letter specifically referred to the Oct. 17 assault on the Christian village of Taybeh, when masked settlers attacked local residents during the olive harvest, as well as foreign guests, including diplomats and officials from European countries.
Israeli settlers targeted Belgium’s consul general, French and Polish diplomats and Catholic representatives, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said.
He linked the attack to Israel’s “illegal settlement policy” and pledged to push for further European Union sanctions. “Impunity for violent settlers must end,” he added.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemned the attack as a “despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards” and said they should spend years in prison. Israel’s president and several opposition politicians also spoke out against the attack.
Taybeh is one of the only Christian majority villages in Palestine.
“This wild attack on the Christian village of Taybeh and against its peaceful population is not an isolated incident,” the Christian leaders claimed.
“In the past weeks the Palestinian villages of the West Bank have been exposed to a wide-scale terror by settlers, which is reaching a peak during this time of the olive harvest, when families go to their lands to collect what they need to live and renew their generations-long bond with their lands. In this regard, we consider the religious ruling recently published, allowing Jews to take the olives of Palestinians, as unfounded, very worrying and dangerous, and absolutely unacceptable,” the letter states.
Israeli police said they arrested 10 people on Monday in connection with the wave of settler violence.
Israel had come under heavy international criticism for the attacks. Israeli police did not identify the suspects or specify their roles in the attacks, which came during a spike in settler violence during the annual Palestinian olive harvest season.
The Christian leaders also said they very much appreciated the fact that several rabbis and Jewish voices have publicly rejected what happened.
“We thank the President of the State of Israel, Mr. Yitzhak Herzog, for his words of condemnation,” they said.
“Unfortunately, the facts on the ground show that these attacks continue because of the impunity enjoyed by those who commit them,” the statement continued.
“We recognize the action taken by the Israel Police and the arrests carried out following this attack, and we express our hope that this enforcement will continue in a serious and consistent manner and will not remain an isolated measure,” the Christian leaders added.
Israeli police said they have been collecting evidence and witness statements since the weekend attacks. The suspects were transferred for questioning. They said the Shin Bet internal security agency, the paramilitary border police force and the Israeli military had all participated in the investigation.
“We call upon the competent authorities to bring those responsible to justice, and we urge the international community to intensify its efforts to ensure the protection of the people of Taybeh and the West Bank, as well as all those who visit these areas to express their solidarity,” the Christian leaders’ statement says.
“We renew our full support to the community of Taybeh and its churches, and we will continue, as in the past, to do everything possible to preserve the Christian presence there.”
This article incorporates material from the Associated Press.