Two of the top church leaders in the Holy Land have toured the Christian Palestinian town of Taybeh in the West Bank, the scene of several attacks by militant settlers in recent weeks, and charge that Israeli authorities have facilitated the ongoing harassment.

In a joint statement, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa said the settler attacks were a threat to Christian heritage in the region, the and called for an investigation into the failure of Israeli law enforcement authorities to respond to such assaults.

"On Monday, 7 July 2025, radical Israelis from nearby settlements intentionally set fire near the town's cemetery and the Church of Saint George, which dates back to the 5th century," they said.

"Taybeh is the last remaining all-Christian town in the West Bank. These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community first and foremost, but also to the historic and religious heritage of our ancestors and holy sites.

"In the face of such threats, the greatest act of bravery is to continue to call this your home. We stand with you, we support your resilience, and you have our prayers," the Chrisitan leader said.

They made their statement during a solidarity visit that both the church leaders made to Taybeh, where they also conducted a press conference and held a prayer ceremony at the site of a recent arson incident, the Times of Israel reported.

King Abdullah II of Jordan also issued a statement that came at the same time as the church leaders' visit, in which he condemned a recent settler arson attack in the town as "a blatant violation of the sanctity of the dead, Christian holy sites, and [the] Christian presence in the Holy Land."

Taybeh residents and local church leaders had said last week that the town had experienced an upsurge in settler harassment recently, the Israeli newspaper reported.

They cited an arson attack, which they said was committed by extremist settlers next to the ruins of the Church of St. George in the town the preceding week, as one of the most serious incidents so far.

"The Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches calls for these radicals to be held accountable by the Israeli authorities, who facilitate and enable their presence around Taybeh," said Theophilos and Pizzaballa in their joint statement.

A fire burns next to the archaeological site of the ruins of the Church of St. George in the West Bank town of Taybeh, July 9, 2025. Residents allege that local settler extremists started the fire. (Courtesy, Nabd ElHaya online radio station)

"We call for an immediate and transparent investigation into why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished," they continued.

     - 'CALLED THE POLICE TWICE'

According to the Times of Israel report local church leaders had called the police emergency line twice during the arson attack and were told that a police force was being dispatched, but they said that no police officers arrived at the scene.

Theophilos and Pizzaballa went on to say that Taybeh was facing "an intensifying trend of systemic and targeted attacks," and called the settler assaults "a direct and intentional threat" to the local Christian community and to "the historic and religious heritage of our ancestors and holy sites."

During a press conference, Pizzaballa said that fears over violence were pushing Christians to leave the West Bank, estimating that only around 50,000 Christian Palestinians currently remain in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

"Unfortunately, the temptation to emigrate is there because of the situation," he added. "This time it's very difficult to see how and when this will finish, and especially for the youth to talk about hope, trust for the future."

The two church leaders said in their statement, "The attacks by the hands of settlers against our community, which is living in peace, must stop, both here in Taybeh and elsewhere throughout the West Bank. This is clearly part of the systematic attacks against Christians that we see unfolding throughout the region."