The ancient ruins of the fifth-century Church of St. George Al Khidr in Taybeh, widely recognized as the last majority-Christian village in the occupied West Bank, stand as a powerful reminder of Christianity’s deep historical roots in Palestine.

But as reported by NBC News, this enduring legacy now faces grave threats amid an intensifying wave of settler violence. Rights groups and church leaders told the outlet that the Israeli government, far from preventing such attacks, often turns a blind eye, or even enables them through systematic inaction.

“The settlers believe everything belongs to them,” said Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, in an interview for NBC News. “Unfortunately, the [Israeli] government appears silent, if not supportive, as we’ve witnessed. So they feel free to act as they please.”

Although no injuries were reported in the most recent incidents near the church, such attacks form part of a wider pattern of settler violence across the occupied West Bank, often deadly, and rarely prosecuted.

Escalating violence, limited accountability

The United Nations recorded over 700 settler attacks against Palestinians in the first half of 2025, more than triple the 216 documented in all of 2023. 

“Since this government was formed, ministers have said, ‘Don’t enforce the law on settlers,’” said Nadav Weiman, executive director of Breaking the Silence, an NGO that documents abuses by the Israeli military. “You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to watch videos from the West Bank and clearly see settlers’ faces. Many don’t even wear masks anymore because they know nothing will happen.”

Last Friday, two Palestinians were killed by settlers in the village of Sinjil, north of Ramallah. Among the victims was Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old Palestinian-American from Florida who was visiting family. The second victim, 23-year-old Mohammed al-Shalabi, was also fatally attacked, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The killings prompted a statement from US Ambassador to "Israel" Mike Huckabee, a long-time supporter of settlers, who urged Israeli authorities to “aggressively investigate the murder,” calling it both a “criminal and terrorist act.”

While Israeli officials claimed to have launched a joint investigation by the police and military police, critics remain skeptical. According to Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organization, over 93% of settler violence cases from 2005 to 2023 were closed without indictment, and just 3% resulted in convictions.

Systemic strategy of displacement

In Taybeh, and across the occupied West Bank, settler violence often targets not only individuals but livelihoods and agricultural land. Religious leaders and rights organizations have documented repeated acts of sabotage, including settlers releasing livestock into Palestinian fields and town centers, destroying olive groves and other crops.

SETTLER VIOLENCE

The Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank has repeatedly been attacked by Jewish settlers who use arson to drive Christians out of the area.

3/5 pic.twitter.com/PGUffNfbgf

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) July 18, 2025

Footage provided to NBC News by local church leaders shows cows and sheep grazing in Taybeh’s town center, stripping olive trees of their foliage. Groups such as Amnesty International, Peace Now, B’Tselem, and Kerem Navot say such actions aim to displace Palestinians and provoke confrontations, part of a systematic push to entrench Israeli settlements and obstruct any future Palestinian sovereignty.

Daily life under siege

Girgis Awad, a local chicken farmer, recounted a recent incident in which settlers attempted to hijack his car as he returned home from work at night. “Our movement and daily life are often disrupted,” he said. Settlers frequently block access to farms, he added, preventing transport of chicks and essential supplies.

Taybeh’s landscape is interwoven with Christian symbolism; its churches, shrines, and steeples dot the surrounding olive orchards. But this tight-knit Christian community is under increasing pressure.

Since 1948, the Christian Palestinian population has dropped from approximately 10% to less than 1%, driven largely by forced emigration due to the Israeli occupation.

Despite the town's Christian identity, local religious leaders stress that settler violence does not target only one faith group.

“They don’t differentiate between Muslims and Christians,” said Rev. David Khoury of the town’s Greek Orthodox Church. “The settlers treat us the same.”

In October, the US Treasury designated the Hilltop Youth, a violent settler group, as extremists involved in killings, arson, and coordinated intimidation campaigns aimed at displacing Palestinian communities.

As attacks intensify, the residents of Taybeh find themselves defending not just their land but the cultural and religious heritage of an ancient community under siege in Christianity’s birthplace.