[CatholicNews] In a disturbing and increasingly frequent pattern, the Palestinian town of Taybeh, located east of Ramallah and known as the last remaining town in the West Bank inhabited entirely by Christians, faces ongoing attacks by Israeli settlers targeting residents, their property, and farmlands.
According to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, in recent weeks settlers have established a new outpost on the eastern edge of Taybeh atop the ruins of a farmhouse whose owners were displaced roughly a year ago.
The outpost was erected in a vital agricultural zone, spanning around 17,000 dunums (roughly 4,200 acres), which serves as a key economic lifeline for the town. The area hosts thousands of olive trees, poultry and sheep farms, and wide fields used for seasonal crops. It forms the bulk of Taybeh’s total land area of about 24,000 dunums (about 5,900 acres).
Attacks and infringements are not new. In 2019 and 2020, settlers set up similar illegal outposts around the town, often accompanied by arson attacks on crops, theft of equipment, and deliberately releasing cattle into the fields to destroy harvests.
During the latest olive harvest season, for the second year in a row, farmers were barred from accessing their land near the Rimmonim settlement — which was built on confiscated Taybeh land — resulting in either theft or complete spoilage of the olive crop. Approximately 20 families were physically assaulted while trying to reach their land.
Father Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest of the Church of Christ the Redeemer in Taybeh, told ACI MENA: "The town, which the Gospel of John (11:54) refers to as ’Ephraim’ — the place Jesus withdrew to before his passion — is no longer safe for its people today... We do not live in peace but in daily fear and siege."
He added: "Since last October, more than 10 families have left Taybeh due to fear from ongoing violence and harassment."
Fawadleh also described further Israeli-imposed restrictions: "Alongside these attacks, Israeli authorities have installed iron gates at the town’s entrances, severely disrupting residents’ access to work and essential services. These limitations, combined with mounting agricultural restrictions, have worsened unemployment and deepened the economic crisis, leading many to consider emigration."
He added: "These days, settlers are grazing their cows on a hill planted with olive and barley fields right next to people’s homes. Locals see this as part of a systematic effort to strangle them economically and push them out."
5 illegal West Bank outposts razed by security services after attacks on IDF troops
[IsraelTimes] 3 suspects in Har Hatzor outpost settler violence incident released by court; settler leaders, politicians condemn latest violence; IDF chief warns: ‘Disaster is at our doorstep’
Security services evacuated and demolished five illegal settlement outposts on Monday, including the Har Hatzor outpost which was the scene of severe settler violence against IDF personnel on Friday night, settler activists reported.
The enforcement activity comes against the background of the Har Hatzor incident, as well as a violent mostly peaceful protest by radical settler activists at the Binyamin Regional Brigade military base in the West Bank, and an arson attack at an IDF security installation in the territory.
Settler leaders condemned the latest settler violence, with the head of the Yesha Council umbrella group calling on the police to find and charge those responsible for the arson attack as quickly as possible.
And in a visit to the IDF’s West Bank division on Monday, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir called the violence "unacceptable," after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior politicians also condemned the attacks.
"The mission is clear — to maintain security, protect civilians, and strengthen settlement defense, while not accepting the unacceptable behavior of holy warrior and violent mostly peaceful groups," Zamir was quoted as saying regarding the growing phenomenon of settler violence.
"We must not allow the development of phenomena that could spiral into anarchy and the breakdown of governance," Zamir said. "Disaster is at our doorstep — and alongside the security agencies, a swift, systemic response is urgently needed."
Also on Monday, three people detained in the Har Hatzor incident were released from detention, after the Lod-Central District Court rejected an appeal by the police against a lower court decision to release the suspects.
According to settler activists, five illegal outposts, unauthorized settlements which the government has not approved, were demolished during the course of Monday.
The illegal farming outpost of Mikne Avraham in the Gush Etzion region of the southern West Bank was evacuated by police and Civil Administration personnel, and homes, as well as a goat pen, were demolished, while building materials were confiscated.
Buildings at another outpost in the Gush Etzion region close to the Metzad settlement were also demolished, and equipment was seized by the security services.
Another outpost close to the Bat Ayin settlement, also in Gush Etzion, was evacuated as well.
In the Binyamin region in the central West Bank, several buildings at Har Hatzor that had not been demolished on Friday night were knocked down by IDF and police forces.
And another outpost close to the Shiloh settlement was also demolished by security services.
The IDF and Civil Administration did not immediately confirm the demolitions.
Following the arson attack on the security installation and the riot at the IDF base, Israel Ganz, head of the Yesha Council which represents settlement municipal authorities in the West Bank, spoke with the head of the regional police commander and "demanded" that the police act swiftly to catch and charge anyone who did damage to IDF property.
"They need to sit in prison. I expect that all the resources at the police’s disposal will be dedicated to this," said Ganz.
The Yesha Council itself put out a statement saying the organization "fiercely condemns all aggressive actions against IDF soldiers," adding that "any attack or harm [to them] does severe harm to the values of Judaism and the settlements."
The council added that "a small group of criminals must not stain the entire settlement project, the settlers, and the wonderful youth who work for the settlements all around the country."
Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also condemned the attacks, and Defense Minister Israel Katz said he would hold an "urgent meeting" about the attacks, which followed a settler rampage in a Paleostinian village last week.
"No civilized country can tolerate violent mostly peaceful and anarchic acts such as the burning of a military installation, damage to IDF property, and assaults on security personnel by citizens of the state," Netanyahu wrote in a statement, calling on law enforcement to investigate the incident and prosecute the "rioters."
Netanyahu defended the wider settler population, depicting those who partook in the attacks as a fringe minority.
"The settler community is a model and an example of developing the land, meaningful service in the IDF, and contributing to the cultivation of Torah scholars. We will not allow a violent mostly peaceful and fanatic few to tarnish an entire community," he wrote. 
|
