"Land of the Nativity" Cries for Help.. "Church Affairs" Calls on the World to Stop "Settler Terrorism"

The Presidential Higher Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, on Sunday, issued an urgent global appeal to all churches around the world, calling on them to break their silence and take a public and explicit stance to stop what it described as the escalating "settler terrorism" against Palestinian civilians, especially Christians among them, warning that these attacks threaten their "historical presence" in their land.

In its message, signed by its head, Dr. Ramzi Khoury, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, the committee revealed a map of recent attacks that targeted the areas of Birzeit, Al-Makhrour, Taybeh, Ain Arik, and Ush al-Ghurab. The message clarified that these attacks were not limited to physical assaults and arrests, but evolved into land confiscation and the expansion of settlement outposts, as part of a systematic policy aimed at changing the demographic and geographical character of the region, and imposing forced displacement on the indigenous population.

The committee refuted the narrative that portrays these crimes as isolated incidents, asserting that they are "an organized campaign of violence and terrorism carried out under the protection of the occupation army." The message relied on statistics from the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, which documented during 2025: 4723 attacks carried out by settlers. 720 joint attacks with the participation of occupation forces. The United Nations confirmed that settlement expansion has reached its highest levels since 2017.

The committee linked settler terrorism in the West Bank to what is happening in occupied Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, including the war of extermination, siege, and demolition of homes, considering that the entire scene reflects "collective punishment" and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.

The message concluded by calling on the churches of the world to exercise their spiritual, moral, and diplomatic role to pressure for: providing effective international protection for Palestinian civilians, including Christians. Holding the occupying state accountable for its crimes in accordance with international law. Rejecting all policies that lead to displacement and undermine historical existence.

The committee concluded its message with poignant words, stating: "The land that witnessed the birth of the Lord Christ, glory be to Him, must not be emptied of its children.. And true faith is not limited to prayer, but is manifested in an explicit stance in the face of injustice and bias towards justice and human dignity."