The Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has condemned the behaviour of Israeli settlers towards Christians in the West Bank, describing the situation as “absolutely unacceptable.”
According to Vatican News, Parolin made the remarks during a press conference in Rome, held on the sidelines of a meeting about religious freedom around the world.
He said that “This is certainly a very complex issue,” adding, “but we fail to understand why these Christians, who are simply living their normal lives, should be subjected to such hostility.”
The Cardinal pointed out that the recent harassment in the town of Taybeh, east of Ramallah, represents a clear violation of the principles of coexistence and religious freedom.
When asked about the situation in Gaza and the possible collapse of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Parolin expressed the Holy See’s concern about the fate of the truce. But he said the Vatican remains “full of hope” that the peace plan proposed by former US President Donald Trump can still work.
In recent years, settler attacks on churches and Christian properties in Jerusalem and the West Bank have increased, prompting repeated condemnations from local church institutions and the Vatican.
These assaults form part of a wider escalation in settler violence against Palestinians, taking place amid a lack of legal accountability and ongoing tension across the Palestinian territories following the devastating war in the Gaza Strip.
