This month, reports of alleged attacks on Christians in Israel by Jews flared up on social media. Pope Leo XIV. condemned an alleged attack on the only Catholic Church in Gaza, and local “Palestinian Christians” claimed “Jewish Settlers” burned down St. George’s Church in Taybeh on July 7. Local American Evangelical Christians The Israel Guys went to investigate.
After claims that “violent settlers” burned down St. George’s Church in the Arab village of Taybeh in Samaria, Luke Hilton and Josh Waller of “The Israel Guys” visited the site and found the claims were entirely fabricated. St. George’s Church are ruins from the 5th Century, with thick stone walls, and impossible to “burn down”.
On July 19, US Ambassador Mike Huckbee had posted: “Taybeh is a quiet Palestinian Christian village south of Jerusalem w/ a lot of American citizens that has been vandalized, including fires set at ancient church. I visited there today. Desecrating a church, mosque, or synagogue is a crime against humanity & God. … When American citizens in Israel … are terrorized or victims of crime I will demand those responsible be held accountable w/ real consequences.”
However, it seems the only fire in Taybeh on July 7 was a brush fire outside the Church ruin, Eliana Passentin of the Benjamin regional council revealed when she visited the site (at 18:55 in this video):
Eliana Passentin’s video prompted Josh and Luke to go visit Taybeh as well, and even speak to local “Palestinian Christians”.
They quickly debunked the Fake News story of “violent Jewish settlers” burning down a Christian church.
Local Jewish residents were actually filmed trying to put out the fire, while Arabs threw rocks at them, Josh and Luke revealed.
Israeli police also dismissed reports that Jewish settlers had set fire to the Church of St. George, calling them “factually incorrect,” Fox News reported.
“Findings gathered on the ground unequivocally show that no damage or harm was caused to the holy site itself,” police said.
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee also clarified his earlier statement:
Patriotic NGO Regavim recently compiled a report “False Flags and Real Agendas” debunking claims of so-called “Settler Violence” in Judea and Samaria (AKA “The West Bank” of Jordan), showing that out of 7,883 incidents reported by the UN, only 2% were actual conflicts, usually between violent Arabs and Israeli police and IDF. In all 7883 reported incidents, there was not a single case of actual violence by an “Israeli settler” against Arabs in Judea and Samaria.
UN reports of “settler violence” included things like Jews praying on the Temple mount, Israel paving roads in Judea and Samaria, terror attacks by Arabs (the response is labeled as “settler violence”) and even traffic accidents involving Israelis and Arabs.
Regavim’s Naomi Linder Kahn spoke to The Israel Guys about her report on so-called “Settler Violence”:
The Attack on the Holy Family Parish in Gaza
On July 17th, “hundreds of people were sheltering in the Gaza Strip’s only Catholic church when an Israeli strike on the complex killed 3 people and injured 12. Among the injured was the parish priest,” Christianity Today reported.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa visited Holy Family Parish in Gaza July 18-20, and called on President Donald Trump to “take an important role in order to stop this devastation.”
Pope Leo XIV. mourned the victims in his Angelus prayer on July 20, calling for “an immediate halt to the barbarity of the war” and for “a peaceful resolution of the conflict.” The Holy Father called the attack “just one of the continuous military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza”.
Pope Leo XIV. called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone July 18 from his summer residence Castel Gandolfo to discuss the “military attack by the Israel army” and urge a ceasefire.
An Israeli Defense Forces investigation concluded July 23 that the strike on the Holy Family Parish compound “was the result of an accidental mortar round that veered off course during “operational activity” by IDF troops in the area of Gaza City”.
“We share the grief of the families and the faithful. We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort. Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites,” the Netanyahu’s office said, according to JNS.
“The IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and works to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure as much as possible, including religious institutions,” the military said in a statement. “The IDF regrets any harm caused to civilians”.
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