Disputed fire by ancient church in Holy Land sparks diplomatic, religious fallout

2025-07-22 15:24:25

And the Israeli police rejected late on Monday, claiming that Jewish settlers He set fire to the archaeological location of the Church of St. George in the village of Taybeh in the West Bank, describing them as “incorrect in reality”, and it lacks evidence and may mislead the audience.

According to the police, the investigation was launched last Thursday by a specialized team within the Investigation Unit in Judea and Samara Central (Yamar) under the supervision of the provincial commander. An internal committee was also assigned to review the schedule of events registered in the police information systems, evaluate dealing with reports and complaints, and evaluate response.

“The collected results on the ground show unambiguously that there was no harm or harm to the sacred location itself,” police said.

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The statement indicated that a small fire occurred in an open area near the site, but no buildings, crops, or infrastructure were damaged.

On Tuesday, the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Hakapi, indicated that Taybeh was “a beautiful village consisting of Arab Christians. [the Israel Police] Complement [to] Look for the truth [without] Regarding the assumptions.

Hakapi clearly added: “I did not fail the cause of the fire to any person or group as we do not know with certainty. I said that regardless, it was the case, it was. [a] crime [and] It deserves the consequences. “

An exclusive investigation by Israel’s press service (TPS-Lil) raised questions about the fire, after discovering evidence that the local Jewish population had participated in the efforts to combat fire near the church and raised great doubts about the cause of the tunnel.

TPS-Lil also documented additional fires on 7, 8 and 11 July in the nearby Pasteoreland, located tens of meters from the church complex. In each case, a Jewish farmer filed with property adjacent to the site complaints with the police, claiming that the areas where the animals were sponsored were baptized.

At the end of last week, he visited Huckabe Taybeh, where he called for accountability. He said in a statement issued by the American embassy in Jerusalem: “To commit a act of action by desecrating a place that is supposed to be a place of worship, it is a terrorist act, and it is a crime.” “There must be consequences, and it must be harsh consequences because it is one of the last strongholds of our civilization, the places where we worship.”

The visit came after the Patriarch Council and Presidents Jerusalem churches He issued a statement claiming that “the Israeli extremists from the nearby settlements had intentionally set fire near the city’s cemetery and the Church of St. George.”

A joint statement days before the three churches priests in Taibi – the Greek Orthodox Church, the Greek Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church – they blame the “Israeli settlers” for “IGNIT intentionally”[ing] A fire near the city’s cemetery and the historic church of Saint George (Khadr), a location in the fifth century is considered one of the oldest religious landmarks in Palestine.

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The Greek Orthodox Patriarch in Jerusalem Theovilus III accused “the Israeli radicals from the nearby settlements” from the “targeted attack.”

Dan Decker, head of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, told Fox News Digital that Israel should follow a more assertive approach in dealing with incidents that may affect its international position.

“We are in the middle of the most subordinate war since the founding of the state, and such events are very dangerous,” he said.

He stressed the importance of strengthening the role of Israel in Protection of Christian heritage And holy sites, especially in the disputed areas.

Decker said: “This includes exposing the War of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the ongoing enthusiasm against Christian citizens, but it also requires transparency and firmness in showing our role as guardians of Christian sites and civilization in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem.”

He also pointed to what he described as a coordinated effort by the Palestinian leadership to undermine Israel’s legitimacy on the global stage, especially through the media.

“We are in the midst of an international crusade by the Palestinian leadership to uproot our legitimacy,” he said. “The international media has become an environmental system for defamation and deficiency in Israel. They are weapons every event in an existential attack.”

On Monday night, the Benjamin Regional Council, which runs Jewish societies in southern SamariaAnd he affirmed that the church did not suffer any harm.

“I am here on the outskirts of the church. You can see the ruling here. Even on the suburbs or outer walls, there are no signs on the fire,” said the Council’s international spokeswoman, Eliana Basantin in a video.

“We are guardians The biblical heart. This land was added by God – there is no reason to burn a church or the lack of respect for the religion of anyone else.

Speaking to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, Passentin recalled bringing visitors to the local beer factory in Taybeh, which was so fortunate that the rabbi gave her Kosher certificate. She pointed out that the Israelis and Christian Arabs coexisted in peace in the region for years, but expressed their concern that society is now defining itself with a Palestinian state that is not officially present.

“When I was wandering, one of the priests said in Taibi that he believed in the solution of the two countries and felt as if the Palestinian Authority was putting a lot of pressure on Christians.”

I suggested that the last crisis was manufactured by those who seek to divide the Jews and Christians, who described them as the guardians of Judea and Samaria.

“We are striving for peace,” she said. “This is the land of the Bible, and we must build it together – we do not fight or spread lipls false blood accusing the Jews burning the church.”

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