The Christian community of Taybeh, the last entirely Christian locality in the West Bank, has denounced a new episode of pressure on its religious life after an Israeli military intervention nearly prevented the celebration of a traditional Marian feast in honor of the Virgin Mary. According to the testimonies gathered, the situation forced Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to intervene to ensure that the event could finally take place.
The incident occurred last Friday, when preparations for the Marian feast were already underway. According to a report by The Vulnerable People Project (VPP), an organization dedicated to the defense of vulnerable communities and currently involved in a campaign supporting Christians in the West Bank, Israeli military personnel entered Taybeh and ordered the organizers to suspend the preparation work and leave the area, despite the fact that the celebration had the corresponding authorizations.
Pizzaballa’s intervention allowed the celebration to continue
According to testimonies collected by VPP representatives present in the locality during the preparations, the soldiers arrived early in the morning and repeated the orders to halt the work. Some witnesses also stated that during the intervention a stun grenade was thrown near the area where the organizational tasks were being carried out.
The situation prompted an immediate reaction from the local parish priest, Father Bashar Fawadleh, who contacted the ecclesiastical authorities to request assistance. The matter quickly reached Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who intervened with the Israeli authorities.
Following the efforts made by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, the organizers received authorization to continue with the preparations, and the celebration was finally able to proceed as planned.
Neither the Israel Defense Forces nor the Israeli authorities had publicly responded to the accusations at the time the reports were published.
Growing concern over the situation of Taybeh’s Christians
The episode occurs amid growing concern among the Christians of Taybeh. This small Palestinian town, traditionally identified with the ancient Ephraim mentioned in the Gospel of Saint John, is considered the last entirely Christian city in the West Bank.
In recent months, church leaders and residents have denounced an increase in the difficulties affecting the local community, including movement restrictions, military checkpoints, incidents related to nearby settlements, and conflicts over land belonging to Christian families and ecclesiastical institutions.
Last April, Cardinal Pizzaballa himself and other leaders of the Churches of Jerusalem formally conveyed their concern to the authorities regarding various actions affecting Christian properties in the area. Likewise, in March the parish priest of Taybeh called for international attention regarding reports of land occupation affecting local residents.
A symbol of the Christian presence in the Holy Land
Taybeh has around one thousand inhabitants and represents one of the last historical strongholds of the indigenous Christian presence in the Holy Land. The town hosts communities belonging to different Christian denominations and keeps alive religious traditions dating back to the early centuries of Christianity.
Various organizations dedicated to the defense of Christians in the Middle East have warned in recent years about the progressive decline of the Christian population in the region and the difficulties many communities face in remaining in the land where the Christian faith was born.
Among them is The Vulnerable People Project, a U.S.-based organization that has spent months documenting the situation of Taybeh’s Christians as part of its campaign supporting Christian communities in the West Bank.
For this reason, local religious leaders have called for guarantees that liturgical celebrations and public expressions of faith can take place normally and without interference, emphasizing that religious freedom is a fundamental right that must be protected for all believers in the Holy Land.