The auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has said that attacks against Christians in the West Bank are increasing.
“The number of attacks on Christians in the West Bank is increasing,” Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali of Jerusalem said on March 20 to EWTN. “The aggressions against Christians in the West Bank are multiplying.”
The bishop’s remarks point to a worsening situation for Palestinian Christian communities, with incidents no longer isolated but occurring across multiple locations. He described a pattern of intimidation by Israeli settlers, including threats, physical aggression and damage to property, which is increasingly restricting access to land and undermining a sense of security.
In the Christian village of Taybeh, residents have faced repeated harassment. “We have reported this to the whole world, even to the American ambassador in Tel Aviv” Bishop Shomali said. “He came to visit the area and promised to take action, but not much has been done.” Reports from the village include the burning of cars and attempts to prevent landowners from reaching their fields.
Further north, in Birzeit, the pressure has increased significantly. Bishop Shomali said settlers have been arriving “almost daily to intimidate individuals in their homes or workplaces”, contributing to a climate of uncertainty among the diminishing minority of Christians in the region.
Church property has also been affected. In Urtas, near Bethlehem, land belonging to a convent of nuns has been targeted. “The sisters have a hill where they grow olives and other crops,” he said. “The settlers came to occupy this hill and make it theirs. They intend to build a new settlement there.”
In Beit Sahour, the bishop highlighted concerns over plans affecting Shepherds’ Field, traditionally associated with the Nativity. “They put up an Israeli flag to claim this land as Israeli territory, even though there is a deed of ownership for this land belonging to a Christian family from Beit Sahour,” he said.
The incidents described by Bishop Shomali are not new, as Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank is a long-running international dispute. Settlements have grown steadily since 1967, often accompanied by the extension of infrastructure and security measures that affect Palestinian communities. Much of the international community regards the settlements as illegal under international law, though Israel contests this position.
Due to this expansion, the number of Palestinian Christians has declined over decades, driven by a combination of economic pressures, political instability and emigration. In 1945, there were around 135,550 Christians in Palestine, today that has fallen to an estimated 45,000–50,000. Church leaders have repeatedly warned that continued insecurity and restrictions on land and movement risk accelerating that trend.
