Taybeh, a small hilltop town in the West Bank and one of the world's oldest Christian communities, is under siege from Israeli settlers, with residents fearing for its long-term survival. The town, known in ancient Greek as Ephraim, where Jesus is said to have hidden before his final journey to Jerusalem, has survived crusaders, Saladin, the Ottoman and British empires, and three Arab-Israeli wars. However, increasing attacks and land grabs are now putting its future in question.
Four major Israeli settlements surround Taybeh, along with numerous unofficial outposts established by messianic Jews. These settlers, including so-called 'hilltop youth', have been accused of harassing and intimidating local Palestinians. Father Bashar Fawadleh, the parish priest, said settlers have driven out Bedouin nomads and now graze their livestock on Taybeh's olive groves and fields, which have sustained the community for millennia. For three years, residents have been forbidden from tending their land, only able to do so during harvest seasons when accompanied by diplomats from French and Italian consulates.
Attacks have escalated in the past year. In July 2023, settlers set fire to the grounds of the fifth-century Byzantine church of St Peter's. Since then, hilltop youth have raided the town four times, setting cars ablaze, slashing tyres, and smashing windows. On 19 March, about 30 settlers took over a concrete factory and stone quarry on the town's edge, raising the Israeli flag and holding prayers, seen as a sign of intent to occupy parts of Taybeh itself. In February, Israel's security cabinet approved measures allowing Israelis to buy property in the occupied West Bank, a step towards annexation.
Taybeh's identity as a wholly Christian town with ancient roots offers some protection, including diplomatic harvest visits, but also makes it more vulnerable as Western countries are more welcoming to Palestinian Christians, facilitating emigration. The community has shrunk from 1,100 to around 1,000 in two years, with 15 families leaving. The US ambassador, Mike Huckabee, condemned the July attack on St Peter's as 'an act of terror' and called for prosecutions, but none have been reported, and he has not commented on subsequent attacks. Huckabee, a fervent supporter of Israeli territorial claims, has faced criticism from American Christians, including far-right commentator Tucker Carlson, over the treatment of Palestinian Christians.
