“Around 2:30 a.m., masked men entered the Christian-Palestinian town of Taybeh, east of Ramallah, set cars on fire, and left Hebrew hate slogans. This is the second such incident within 20 days; previously, a fire was set near the old St. George’s Church,” said Wadie Abunassar, the Palestinian coordinator of the “Forum of Christians in the Holy Land.”
“Thank God, no one was harmed this time either. But while last time fields were burned, now vehicles were targeted. This attack is part of the increasing settler violence in the West Bank—not only against Palestinians but sometimes even against Israeli security forces. Despite this, we call on all people of goodwill not to lose hope. The majority in this region, whether Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, want to live in peace. But the time to act is now. Such incidents undermine trust in peace and reconciliation—yet we continue to pray and work for it, against all odds,” added the cleric.
כך נערים שחושבים שהם מבינים הכל הורסים את שמנו בעולם:
כיתוב “מועייר אתם עוד תתחרטו” התגלה בכפר פלשתיני בבנימין הבוקר. הבעיה? הנקמה הייתה, כנראה, על ירי לעבר גבעת אור נחמן, אבל הכפר שבו בוצע תג המחיר היה בכלל טייבה, כפר נוצרי שעלה לכותרות בדיוק בגלל דברים כאלו – במרחק של 10 ק”מ… pic.twitter.com/FC2vmDBDH5
— חנן גרינווד (@hanan_green) July 28, 2025
The German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, reacted immediately:
Whether they attack a Christian village or Muslim Palestinian herding communities – these extremist settlers may claim that God gave them the land. But they are nothing but criminals abhorrent to any faith. https://t.co/dWrRRwJFSL
— Steffen Seibert (@GerAmbTLV) July 28, 2025
Eliana Passentin, spokesperson for Jewish settlements in Samaria, told Israel Today that “she has no idea who is behind this and that this is subject to a police investigation.” She stated that it had nothing to do with the original incident a few weeks ago, when dry fields in the Christian village of Taybeh were set on fire. “The graffiti reading ‘Al-Mughayyir’ – a Muslim village from which a terrorist attack against settlers was carried out last Shabbat – is also located somewhere completely different.”
Mistaken identity?
Could it be that the attackers confused the Christian village with the Muslim village of Al-Mughayyir? “That could well be,” Passentin told us. Otherwise, she stressed, it simply made no sense to vandalize the Christian village of Taybeh. When asked whether this act would be justified in the Muslim village, she declined to answer. “We have to wait and see what the police investigation reveals.” Passentin reminded us that in the past, Palestinians themselves set fire to their own cars to slander Jews.
Huckabee’s rebuke
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited the village last week—a rare step after villagers complained of ongoing harassment by Jewish residents. The reason for this was, among other things, an alleged arson attack on the historic St. George Church in Taybeh. However, a police investigation later found that the incident had been misrepresented. There was no damage to the ruins of St. George Church, which is actually an archaeological ruin. The reports of arson were “factually incorrect and misleading,” according to the police. Nevertheless, Huckabee issued a sharp statement: “Any desecration of a holy place—be it a church, mosque, or synagogue—is unacceptable. Anyone who does so is committing a crime and must be held accountable.” In a later clarification, he emphasized that he had not blamed anyone—that was the task of the ongoing investigation.
Taybeh is a quiet Palestinian Christian village south of Jerusalem w/ a lot of American citizens that has been vandalized-including fires set at ancient church. I visited there today. Desecrating a church,mosque or synagogue is a crime against humanity & God. pic.twitter.com/fGI6tCLQuC
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) July 19, 2025
Yet the violence continues unabated: On Friday evening, according to Palestinian reports, settlers allegedly attacked Palestinian homes again in the Bethlehem area, particularly in the villages of Kisan and Deir Alla. The army confirmed the incident and stated that several suspects were detained at the scene. In the heated atmosphere surrounding settler violence and Hamas terror, the lines between real threats, exaggerated symbolism, and misinformation often blur—at the expense of truth and de-escalation.
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