The Church condemns the persecution that we have seen and stands in solidarity with Palestinian Christian communities across the Holy Land as they continue to face profound hardship. The Church of England remains committed to supporting our Anglican partners, advocating for human rights and calling for the upholding of international humanitarian law and a just and lasting peace for the Palestinians.
Taybeh, an ancient Palestinian Christian village in the west bank, is facing record levels of escalating Israeli settler attacks. Father Bashar Fawadleh has warned that residents feel vulnerable and insufficiently protected. What engagement has the Church had with church leaders in Taybeh, and what further steps can the Church take to support this community and help ensure its continued presence and security in the Holy Land?
May I first thank my hon. Friend for her continued and steadfast support for the Palestinians? Since the start of this year, the UN has reported that 76 Palestinians have been killed by settler violence, and that number includes 18 children. As she has rightly mentioned, the village of Taybeh continues to experience near-daily raids on homes by settlers, and the village has been almost entirely encircled by roadblocks and fences. During her recent visit to the diocese of Jerusalem, the Archbishop of Canterbury met with Christian leaders, where she heard at first hand of the suffering being experienced by Palestinian Christians, including persistent violence, destruction of property, seizure of land and restrictions on movement. The settler terrorism that we are witnessing must come to an end.
May I encourage the Church Commissioners to support the Church in facilitating community events? Wells cathedral and Wells bishop’s palace are at the centre of an amazing programme of year-round festivals, fairs and markets, but the Church Commissioners have suddenly served a stop notice on the Phelps’ family at Palace farm in Wells, which for decades has offered—