BREAKING Jerusalem Patriarchal Vicar Warns There is a "real danger to Christian families" in the West Bank


Escalating Pressures on West Bank Christians: Insights from Bishop Shomali

Bishop William Shomali, the Latin Patriarchal Vicar General in Jerusalem, has issued a stark warning regarding the deteriorating situation for Christian communities in the West Bank. He highlights a significant surge in settler activity and a systematic effort to marginalize Palestinian presence.

Expansion and Ideological Shifts

According to Bishop Shomali, the physical landscape of the West Bank is being rapidly transformed by settlement growth. He states:


“There are currently about 200 Israeli settlements in the West Bank, built on Palestinian land that was seized. Since the end of last year until today, attacks on Christians in the West Bank have been increasing.”

He further explains that these actions are driven by a specific ideological perspective:

  • The Goal: The belief that all of Palestine should be Jewish.

  • The Justification: The claim that Palestinians "have only been occupying this land for a few hundred years, so they must leave."

  • The Result: A landscape that is "gradually becoming less and less Palestinian and more and more under the control of the settlers."

Daily Impact on Christian Villages

The Bishop emphasizes that the violence is not abstract; it directly threatens the safety and livelihoods of families in villages like Birzeit and Taybeh. He notes that residents face daily attacks in their homes and workplaces, creating a "real danger to Christian families" who are simultaneously losing their means of survival.

Targeted Land Seizures

Shomali cited specific instances where religious and private properties have been targeted:

  • Artas (near Bethlehem): Land belonging to a convent was seized for new settlement construction.

  • Beit Sahour (Shepherds' Field): Settlers seized a hectare of land in a location of immense biblical significance.

Regarding the Shepherds' Field, Shomali remarked:

"In the place where the angels announced to the shepherds the birth of the Savior in Bethlehem, they placed the Israeli flag to indicate that the land is now under their sovereignty, despite the existence of a title deed in the name of a Christian family I know in Beit Sahour."

Despite diplomatic briefings—including a visit from the US ambassador to the village of Taybeh—Bishop Shomali notes that these promises of action have so far "accomplished little" in halting the escalation.

Source: Abouna.org Image Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Facebook Page

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