{"id":18277,"date":"2026-08-26T12:01:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T16:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/?p=18277"},"modified":"2026-08-27T12:03:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T16:03:07","slug":"communities-on-edge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/communities-on-edge\/","title":{"rendered":"Communities on Edge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Joseph Hazboun was standing with Palestinians on a farm near Taybeh, West Bank, when a man drove his tractor toward them at high speed, \u201cattempting to intimidate and chase the group,\u201d he said.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Hazboun, who directs CNEWA-Pontifical Mission for Palestine operations in Palestine and Israel, was visiting with Palestinians in the area threatened and harassed by Israeli extremists. He said in many cases, settlers had cut through protective fencing to allow their sheep to graze on privately owned Palestinian farmland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe confrontation escalated rapidly when the settler operating in the area learned of our presence,\u201d he said in a report in early August. \u201cThe situation was deeply tense and overwhelming, diffused only when two Israeli peace activists present in the area intervened to block and confront him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ongoing settler intimidation of West Bank residents includes several tactics, including cutting fences to allow animals to graze on Palestinian farms, newly planted fields and in olive groves. In some cases, blockades and settler outposts keep Palestinian farmers from reaching their ancestral lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Farmland and olive groves around Taybeh, West Bank, pictured here, are being attacked by Israeli settlers. (photo: Samar Hazboun)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStanding on that contested hillside, the human cost of the West Bank\u2019s expanding outposts became starkly evident \u2014 leaving families stranded away from the very homes they built, caught in a cycle of displacement and daily intimidation,\u201d Mr. Hazboun said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In June, independent investigators appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council reported settler violence \u201cfunctions as a means of implementing Israeli State policy, with both the state and violent settler groups working toward the same strategic objectives: entrenchment of Israeli settlements, annexation of Palestinian territory and displacement of Palestinians from their land.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The investigators reported that seven Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and more than 830 were injured in 2025. The U.N. reported more than 1,800 settler attacks<\/a> across the West Bank last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bethlehem and surrounding towns are \u201cheavily impacted by an array of military checkpoints, earth mounds and dozens of iron gates installed on main and secondary roads,\u201d Mr. Hazboun reported. This has isolated communities<\/a> and resulted in a drop in tourism and the virtual collapse of the hospitality sector, \u201cleaving thousands of families without stable incomes, independent livelihoods or domestic economic lifelines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Hazboun said communities like Taybeh, known as the West Bank\u2019s last all-Christian village, have faced repeated assaults, such as settlers setting fire to land near the village border. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLocal volunteer firefighters and residents attempting to put out blazes have frequently been obstructed, targeted with live fire, or physically beaten,\u201d he reported. \u201cVehicles are torched, and hateful graffiti is sprayed on community walls to instill psychological terror.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across the West Bank, groups of settlers \u201csmash windows, set cars and homes ablaze and attack residents with stones and live ammunition. These incidents often occur while Israeli military forces are either standing by or intervening in a manner that local monitors report offers de facto protection or impunity to the aggressors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 9 August, the Israeli military closed Taybeh to nonresidents. The military said the move was to protect residents from settler attacks, although at least one Israeli peace activist said he feared the move was to keep peace activists from protecting the Palestinians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the military closure, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem,\u00a0traveled to Taybeh to celebrate Mass<\/a>\u00a0for the feast of the Assumption on Saturday, 15 August. He urged residents to keep hope even when the situation is very difficult, advising them to \u201clearn from the Virgin Mary how to guard our hearts, because this situation can contaminate our hearts. And if our hearts become contaminated, the \u2018dragon\u2019 has won.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want to remain a community that gives birth to life, without giving up or abandoning our rights, our right to life. So be courageous. Do not be afraid,\u201d he told them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Hazboun reported that, despite the difficulties, \u201cthe Taybeh community remains steadfastly committed to building a future defined by peace, dignity and prosperity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRather than allowing fear to restrict their vision, local leadership and residents continue to invest in constructive projects that offer safety, hope and normal life for the next generation,\u201d he said, citing the example of the construction of a new soccer field that will serve children from surrounding villages, where there are no athletic or recreational facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a sign of \u201ca resilient community that refuses to surrender its youth\u2019s future to conflict and fear,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However powerful evil may appear, the Latin patriarch reminded the faithful during his homily, its power is not absolute. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As acts of intimidation and violence directed by Israeli settlers against Palestinians increase across the Palestinian West Bank, the church remains firm in its stand against hate and extremism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70080,"featured_media":18278,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3084,3056],"class_list":["post-18277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-responding-to-human-needs","category-palestine"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCommunities on Edge | CNEWA Canada<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore the communities on edge in the West Bank amid tensions and confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli extremists.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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