Milano (AsiaNews) – Father Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest of Taybeh in the West Bank, spoke to AsiaNews about his town after the Israeli military closed it off to non-residents.
Home to some 1,500 people, 30 km north of Jerusalem and 20 east of Ramallah, it is the last wholly Christian Palestinian town.
“From the perspective of the Church, we welcome any serious measure whose real purpose is to protect our people, their homes, their lands and their freedom to live in security and dignity,” Father Bashar said.
The measure by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDFs), according to the official version, is intended to protect the local population from escalating attacks by Jewish settlers against residents and their property, a trend that has escalated in recent days.
For the clergyman, “The declaration of Taybeh as a closed military zone for non-resident Israelis may be a positive step if it is genuinely and consistently enforced to prevent settlers from entering our lands and carrying out further attacks. What matters to us, however, is not the announcement itself, but what happens on the ground in the coming days and weeks.”
“For months, our community has experienced repeated incursions into private and agricultural lands, intimidation of families and workers, fires, armed presence, the entry of settlers and their livestock onto private property, and attempts to establish a permanent presence around the village. These incidents have created fear and are threatening the normal life and future of our Christian community.”
“As a Church, we therefore say clearly: protection must mean protection. The responsibility cannot be placed on the victims by restricting their lives, access to their lands or freedom of movement. The restrictions must be directed against those who enter illegally, threaten residents, damage property or attempt to take control of land.”
Yesterday, Israeli troops surrounded and sealed off the Christian village of Taybeh, barring entry to non-residents. The military described this as a necessary step to prevent further violence by Jewish settlers who had been increasing their attacks in recent days.
The order, the IDF explained in a statement, applies "only to Israelis and not to Palestinians." An IDF spokesman added that the transformation of the town into a closed military zone was “due to some violent attacks by Israelis in the region.”
“Upon receiving any report of violations of the order, IDF soldiers are dispatched to the area and operate to disperse the gatherings and detain suspects in order to protect the citizens of the area and to maintain order,” the statement reads.
The West Bank village is known as the last Palestinian town inhabited entirely by Christians of various denominations. Its three churches serve more than 600 Roman Catholics, as well as Greek Orthodox and Greek Melkite Catholics.
In the past, it was repeatedly attacked by Jewish settlers, with homes raided, livestock stolen, and houses set on fire.
In the aftermath of one of the many incursions, in July last year, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the Greek Orthodox Primate, Theophilos III, visited the town together to express their solidarity with the residents.
Last June, Israeli settlers interfered with Palestinians trying to put out a large fire near Taybeh, part of a continuing pattern of intimidation and unjustified hostility violating residents’ fundamental rights.
As a result, some Western countries announced sanctions against settler groups in response to the violent attacks.
A United Nations investigation published on 9 June found that Israeli authorities were directly involved in settler attacks that killed, injured, and displaced Palestinians in the West Bank.
The Israeli mission in Geneva rejected the report's findings, stating that Israeli authorities, including the president and prime minister, had repeatedly condemned violence against Palestinians.
Parts of Taybeh are located in Area B, where the Palestinian Authority runs the civil administration but where security oversight is coordinated with Israeli authorities.
The West Bank and Jerusalem are home to approximately 50,000 Palestinian Christians, members of a religious community that dates back to antiquity and is part of a region that is home to many of the faith's most important holy sites.
Regarding the closure, “We will judge this decision by its results: Are the attacks stopped?” said Taybeh’s parish priest by phone. “Can our farmers safely reach their land? Can families live in their homes without fear? Are attempts to establish new settler outposts around Taybeh prevented?”
The town “does not ask for privileges. We ask for the basic right to remain peacefully on our land and to preserve a Christian presence that has existed here for centuries. If this decision provides real and lasting protection, we will welcome it. But it must be implemented seriously and accompanied by accountability for those responsible for the attacks.”
In fact, “Temporary measures are not enough. What Taybeh needs is lasting security, justice and the protection of its people and land.
“At this stage, we still do not have clear information about the details of how this decision will be implemented, how it will translate into practice on the ground, which areas will actually be covered by the measures, or how they will be enforced and monitored.
“For this reason, we cannot judge the decision solely by its announcement. We will assess it by the way it is implemented and by its actual impact on the lives, security, and freedom of movement of the people.”
