Christian advocates have urged President Donald Trump to press Israel to protect Palestinian Christian communities from settler violence, warning that attacks and restrictions are pushing them out of the West Bank, “dismantling one of the oldest Christian presences in the Holy Land…with American diplomatic cover,” one told Newsweek. Trump on Sunday gave his “Complete and Total Endorsement” to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in power for around 19 years in total across three periods, for reelection at the end of the month. This came two days after settlers allegedly attacked an American journalist in the occupied West Bank, which Trump's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called a “despicable act of terror,” demanding that Israel arrest and prosecute those responsible.
During the incident, settlers reportedly besieged three Palestinian homes, including one belonging to a dual U.S. citizen. Embassy had been involved in efforts to have Israeli forces remove the settlers. The Israeli police have opened an investigation into what Netanyahu called a “confrontation,” adding that “serious questions remain” about what was one of several “disputed incidents,” suggesting that Palestinians or "far-left" activists might have been responsible.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said he “seriously condemned” the “severe acts of violence by Israeli rioters in the area of Taybeh” over the weekend. On Saturday, European diplomats and a French mayor were also allegedly attacked by masked settlers in the village of Taybeh, the West Bank’s last entirely Christian village. Sa’ar said the delegation had not coordinated with the Israeli military and argued that this could have helped improve security.
Israeli police said on Monday they arrested 10 people in relation to the weekend's violence without identifying the suspects or specifying their roles in the attacks. Advocate Alexandrya Pouliot, a Coloradan who runs the Save West Bank Christians campaign, was in Taybeh was with the European delegation who got attacked on Saturday. She told Newsweek how these were just the most recent examples of the violence Christians are facing there.
Similarly, the Reverend Mae Elise Cannon, Protestant pastor and director of Churches for Middle East Peace, told Newsweek how “every Christian family” she knows in the West Bank town of Bethlehem “has at least someone who has already fled the country or is considering leaving because there is little opportunity to have a safe and prosperous life.” Both called on the Trump administration to add pressure to Israel to address settler violence, with Pouliot urging it to use the “window” of the October 27 election. In response, a White House official told Newsweek it has “clearly communicated” to “all parties” that a “stable” West Bank helps keep Israel secure and is part of the administration’s goal for peace in the region. When Newsweek contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment, it was directed to the Israeli police.
Newsweek reached out to the Israeli police and Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., via email, on Monday. Israeli leaders have repeatedly said they support and protect Christian communities in the country. In January, President Isaac Herzog welcomed Christian leaders for a New Year’s celebration, calling the Christian population “a blessing to the State of Israel.” “We are committed to ensuring that Christian communities can continue to grow and thrive, with full freedom of religion and worship,” he said.
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