TAYBEH, Palestine (LifeSiteNews) — A Marian festival in the Christian West Bank town of Taybeh proceeded after Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa intervened following an attempt by Israeli military personnel to halt preparations.

On May 29, Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, intervened with Israeli authorities after military personnel ordered organizers to stop preparations for a Catholic Marian festival in Taybeh, a Palestinian town in the West Bank that is widely regarded as the last entirely Christian locale in the territory. According to witnesses and representatives of the Vulnerable People Project (VPP), the intervention by the cardinal resulted in permission being granted for the celebration to continue as planned.

“The disruption of a Marian festival by the IDF is not just an attack on a celebration; it is another warning sign that the Christian presence in the Holy Land is in peril,” Jason Jones, founder and president of the Vulnerable People Project, told journalist Niwa Limbu for AdVaticanum.

“Christians with influence and power in the United States may be the last line of defence between vulnerable Christian communities and the forces driving them from their ancestral homelands,” Jones added. “From Gaza to the West Bank and Lebanon, ancient Christian communities are under immense pressure. If they are erased and we remained silent, we will share responsibility for that loss.”

READ: Israeli soldiers force Christians to halt Marian Festival preparations in West Bank

The incident reportedly occurred early Friday morning, as local Catholics were preparing for the town’s annual celebration in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. VPP representatives present in Taybeh said Israeli military vehicles entered the area and instructed organizers to cease their activities and leave the site, despite claims that the event had received the necessary authorizations. The association also recorded videos that were later shared online.

According to the same source, some witnesses also stated that during the intervention a stun grenade was thrown near the area where preparations were being carried out.

Local parish priest Father Bashar Fawadleh immediately contacted Church authorities after the military intervention. The matter was then brought to Pizzaballa, who reportedly communicated directly with Israeli authorities. Following those efforts, organizers were allowed to resume preparations and the festival ultimately took place

Jones also stated to AdVaticanum that the VPP launched the “Save West Bank Christians” initiative because they believe Christian communities should be able to remain in the lands historically associated with the origins of Christianity.

AdVaticanum reported that a spokesman for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem declined to comment publicly on the allegations. At the time the reports were published, neither the Israel Defense Forces nor Israeli authorities had issued a public response to the accusations.

Taybeh is traditionally identified with the lineage of biblical Ephraim, as mentioned in the Gospel of John, and has a population of approximately 1,000 residents. The town is considered one of the last remaining centers of an entirely Christian Palestinian population in the West Bank and is home to Christian communities that preserve religious traditions dating back centuries.

Church leaders and local residents have increasingly voiced concerns about restrictions, property disputes, nearby settlement activity, and other pressures affecting the town. Several organizations focused on the situation of Middle Eastern Christians have also warned of the continuing decline of Christian populations across the region and have called for stronger protections for religious freedom and the public practice of the Christian faith in the Holy Land.

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Earlier in the year, during Holy Week, Pizzaballa and Father Francesco Ielpo, OFM, Custos of the Holy Land, reported that they had been prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Mass on Palm Sunday. The two clerics later described the incident as a serious precedent and expressed concern about its implications for Christians around the world.

Also, according to a report published on April 1 by the Israeli organization Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue, anti‑Christian attacks in Israel – especially in Jerusalem – increased significantly in 2025 alone. The incidents include physical assaults, spitting, vandalism, intimidation, and acts of desecration, often targeting clergy and church property.