Christian leaders condemn Israeli settler violence in West Bank

The Star

Christian leaders have called on Israeli settlers to be held accountable following intensified attacks in the occupied West Bank in recent weeks.  The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III - visiting the Christian town of Taybeh with other Jerusalem-based clerics - said settlers had started a fire near a cemetery and a 5th century church there last week.  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00Christian leaders have accused Israeli settlers of attacking sacred sites in the West Bank,

00:05in violence that one said was forcing some to consider quitting the occupied territory.

00:10The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilus III,

00:15visiting the Christian town of Tebe with other Jerusalem-based clerics,

00:19said settlers had started a fire near a cemetery and a 5th century church there last week.

00:24Even in times of war, holy sites must be protected.

00:31We call for an immediate and transparent investigation on why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community

00:43and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished.

00:48The attacks by the hands of settlers against our community, who is living in peace,

00:55must stop, both here in Tebe and elsewhere throughout the West Bank.

01:01This is clearly part of the systematic attacks against Christians that we see unfolding throughout the region.

01:10Israel's government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

01:16B'Tselem and other rights groups say settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war in Gaza in October 2023.

01:26The Israeli military has also intensified raids across the West Bank.

01:31The Israeli military is now displaced and 하나- één-

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