The leaders of Christian churches in Jerusalem condemned a recent attack on a Christian village in the West Bank by Israeli settlers, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa announced in a Tuesday statement.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, which represents all major Christian denominations’ leadership in the Holy City, released a statement Tuesday expressing their “profound concern and unwavering condemnation” of a Monday attack on the Christian village of Taybeh, according to the statement. The settlers, many of them masked, “forcibly entered” the village and began harassing the populace and setting fires to vehicles that nearly reached the walls of the Church in the village.
“We regret that official Israeli police statements reduced the matter solely to property damage, omitting the broader context of systematic intimidation and abuse,” the statement reads. “These omissions distort the truth and fail to address violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including the right to religious freedom and the protection of cultural heritage.”
The patriarchs demanded the Israeli government hold the attackers accountable and protect the Christians living in the West Bank, according to the statement.
Cardinal Pizzaballa has long been an advocate for the Christians of the Gaza Strip and West Bank, previously condemning a strike from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that hit Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, killing three people and injuring more. The IDF maintains that the strike was an accident and did not reprimand anyone involved in the incident.
“We are gravely troubled by the prevailing climate of impunity, which undermines the rule of law and jeopardizes peaceful coexistence in the land of the Resurrection,” the statement reads. “The lack of accountability not only threatens Christian communities but also weakens the moral and legal foundations that uphold peace and justice for all.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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