#BreakingNews Ecumenical Peace Group Condemns the West Bank Escalation of Settler Violence and Illegal Land Confiscation

Churches for Middle East Peace Condemns the Escalation of Settler Violence and Illegal Land Confiscation in the West Bank
Washington, D.C.
August 29, 2024

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) unequivocally condemns the escalating violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and the ongoing illegal confiscation of Palestinian land. We stand in solidarity with Palestinian families facing dispossession and violence, as well as with those who have been wrongfully detained for defending their internationally recognized human rights.

Recent weeks have seen a disturbing increase in settler aggression throughout the West Bank. Over the past few days, the Palestinian Christian Qaisiyah family in the Makhrour valley has been subjected to increased violence, including the forced seizure of the family’s land and the establishment of an illegal outpost at Al Makhour.

On July 31st, 2024, settlers, escorted by Israeli military forces, invaded the home and physically removed the family and their belongings from the property. Such acts constitute clear violations of international law. The International Court of Justice, in its July 2024 ruling, reaffirmed that the military occupation of the West Bank, along with the establishment of settlements and outposts, is illegal.

We are particularly alarmed by Israel’s announcement of plans to establish a new settlement, named “Nahal Heletz,” in the Bethlehem region. This settlement, to be constructed on Palestinian land recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, is yet another attempt to sever Palestinian territorial continuity west of Bethlehem, effectively encircling the city and turning surrounding Palestinian communities into isolated enclaves. This deliberate disruption of Palestinian space further undermines the viability of a future Palestinian state.

On Wednesday, August 28, 2024, Israel conducted its most extensive military operation in the West Bank in 20 years. The IDF launched simultaneous invasions of Jenin, Tulkarem, and the Al-Faraa refugee camp. As part of the raid, the IDF also blocked off access to hospitals while military bulldozers destroyed Palestinian infrastructure, including roads. At least 10 Palestinians were killed. We condemn the statement of Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who stated, “We must deal with the threat just as we deal with the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, including the temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents and whatever steps might be required.” CMEP believes such rhetoric could easily encourage mechanisms of displacement and ethnic cleansing to be employed in the West Bank as they have been executed in Gaza these past ten-plus months.

CMEP expresses deep concern over the arbitrary arrest and detention of Palestinian activists like Alice Qaisiyah, who was taken into custody after confronting extremist settlers who violently expelled her and her family from their land. The subsequent release of Alice and her mother does not mitigate the injustice they have endured, nor does it address the broader issue of systemic violence being perpetrated against Palestinians.

We call on the U.S. government to take decisive action to halt Israeli incursions into the West Bank, including by ensuring that U.S. weapons cannot be used to further violate Palestinian human rights. The Biden Administration and Congress must denounce the inflammatory rhetoric and policies expressed by Israeli officials over the past several months, including Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, who have emboldened settler violence.

It is time lasting solutions be sought to bring an end to human rights abuses and the occupation of the Palestinian people, including but not limited to the expansion of settlements, land confiscation, and continued displacement in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. CMEP calls for a lasting and permanent ceasefire in the ongoing war in Gaza, the release of hostages in Gaza and those held unjustly in Israeli prisons, immediate and adequate humanitarian assistance into the enclave, and that the core causes of the decades-long conflict be finally addressed so these horrific cycles of trauma and violence will once and for all be brought to an end and all people in Palestine and Israel may have peace, security, and hope for a future.
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Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of more than 30 national church communions and organizations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical traditions that works to encourage US policies that actively promote a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in the Middle East with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. CMEP works to mobilize US Christians to embrace a holistic perspective and to be advocates of equality, human rights, security, and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, and all people of the Middle East.

Source: CMEP Press Release
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