VATICAN NEWS The patriarchs and heads of Churches in Jerusalem have issued a statement firmly condemning the “heinous attack” carried out on Saturday, October 17, by “masked settlers” in the Christian village of Taybeh. The attack targeted residents harvesting olives, as well as diplomats and officials from European countries who were visiting the area on a solidarity mission. A widespread campaign of terror “This wild attack on the Christian village of Taybeh and against its peaceful population is not an isolated incident,” the Church leaders stress in the statement published on the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. “In the past weeks,” they recall, “the Palestinian villages of the West Bank have been exposed to a wide-scale terror by settlers, which is reaching a peak during this time of the olive harvest, when families go to their lands to collect what they need to live and renew their generations-long bond with their lands.” An unfounded religious ruling In this regard, the patriarchs and heads of Churches in Jerusalem state that “the religious ruling recently published, allowing Jews to take the olives of Palestinians, as unfounded, very worrying and dangerous, and absolutely unacceptable.” “We very much appreciate that several rabbis and Jewish voices have publicly rejected it,” the Church leaders note. They also thank Israeli President Isaac Herzog for his words of condemnation. “Unfortunately,” they state, “the facts on the ground show that these attacks continue because of the impunity enjoyed by those who commit them.” They acknowledge the intervention of Israeli police and the arrests made following the attack, expressing hope that law enforcement efforts will continue in a serious and consistent manner rather than remain an isolated measure. Preserving the Christian presence The statement concludes with an appeal to the relevant authorities to “bring those responsible to justice” and a call on the international community “to intensify its efforts to ensure the protection of the people of Taybeh and the West Bank, as well as all those who visit these areas to express their solidarity.” “We renew our full support to the community of Taybeh and its churches,” the leaders declare. “As in the past, n the past, to do everything possible to preserve the Christian presence there.” They conclude by offering prayers for the people of Taybeh and the entire population of the Holy Land, expressing the hope that they may live in conditions of security, justice and peace. | 