slpress.gr
Jul 10, 2025
Tensions continue to escalate in the occupied West Bank, particularly in the Christian town of Taybeh. On July 7, the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. George was subjected to an arson attack by Jewish settlers, who have placed the area under siege.
The attack took place in Taybeh, a small town with a population of 1,500, which is the last remaining purely Christian settlement in the West Bank. According to tradition, it is identified with the ancient Ephraim, where Jesus sought refuge before the Crucifixion: “Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with his disciples.” (John 11:54). The area contains the ruins of the ancient Church of St. George. The modern church was rebuilt in 1931. Most residents are Greek Orthodox, though there are also Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic (Melkite) parishes.
“Israeli settlers set fire to St. George Greek Orthodox Monastery and the Christian cemetery in the Christian village of Taybeh, West Bank. This is the place Christ sought refuge in John 11:54 before His passion and death called Ephraim.” — “Our very existence is under threat”
The attack on the Greek Orthodox monastery is part of an escalating wave of violence by extremist Jewish settlers who act with impunity, often with the tolerance—or even the cover—of the Israeli military. These groups, known as “hilltop youth,” organize attacks, burn properties, and intimidate the local population.
In a joint statement, three Christian priests from Taybeh condemned both the attack on the church and the arson of homes and vehicles. They emphasized that such actions undermine both the physical security and the historical presence of Palestinian Christians in their ancestral land.
“If it weren’t for the vigilance of local residents and the immediate intervention of firefighters, the destruction could have been far worse.”
After the attack, the U.S. shields the settlers
The State Department issued a generic condemnation of “violence from all sides,” without naming the perpetrators or calling for sanctions over the attack. Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations such as Catholic Relief Services warn that the violence hampers aid delivery and restricts residents’ mobility.
Prime Minister Netanyahu avoided any condemnation of the incident. Instead, he praised the “settler community” as an example of development and spirituality, describing the attack as the work of a “violent minority” that does not represent the whole.
On January 21, 2025, U.S. President Trump lifted the sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on prominent Jewish settler leaders.
published in slpress.gr Εβραίοι έποικοι πήγαν να κάψουν ελληνορθόδοξο μοναστήρι στη Δυτική Όχθη. Translated by Christian Haccuria
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