Vulnerable People Project Condemns Interference with Religious Celebration; Calls for Protection of Christian Communities
NEWS PROVIDED BY
The Vulnerable People Project
May 29, 2026
TAYBEH, WEST BANK, May 29, 2026 /Standard Newswire/ — Israeli military forces attempted to halt preparations for a Catholic Marian Festival in the Christian village of Taybeh on Friday morning, despite the event having received the necessary permits and approvals from local authorities.
The Vulnerable People Project (VPP), which is on the ground supporting and documenting the festival as part of its Save West Bank Christians Campaign, reports that preparations for the annual Marian celebration began in the early morning hours amid concerns that radical settlers might attempt to disrupt the event. Instead, Israeli military forces intervened.
At approximately 8:00 a.m., an Israeli military vehicle entered the village and ordered organizers to cease preparations and leave the area. Witnesses report that soldiers also deployed a stun grenade during the incident. Roughly thirty minutes later, a second military vehicle arrived and repeated the same orders.
Following the military intervention, residents observed surveillance drones operating overhead as well as a military helicopter in the area, raising fears among organizers and clergy that the festival would be forcibly canceled.
Fr. Bashar, the parish priest overseeing the festival, immediately contacted Church authorities for assistance. The matter was elevated to His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who intervened with Israeli authorities. Following those discussions, permission was granted for preparations to continue, and the festival was ultimately allowed to proceed.
The incident comes amid growing concerns regarding increasing pressure on the Christian community of Taybeh. In recent months, residents have faced repeated closures, military checkpoints, restrictions on movement, settler encroachments, and disruptions to religious life.
The Vulnerable People Project (VPP) expressed grave concern over the attempted interruption of a lawful religious celebration and called on authorities to ensure that Christian communities throughout the Holy Land can worship freely without intimidation or interference.
“This incident should alarm Christians around the world,” said Jason Jones, founder of the Vulnerable People Project. “A permitted Catholic festival honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary was nearly shut down by armed military intervention before it even began. Only after direct intervention by Cardinal Pizzaballa was the celebration allowed to proceed. The Christian community of Taybeh has endured escalating pressure for months, and today’s events demonstrate how fragile religious freedom has become in the very land where Christianity was born.”
Lex Pouliot, Manager of Middle East Projects for the Vulnerable People Project, witnessed the events firsthand, “Our fear this morning was that radical settlers would disrupt preparations for the Marian Festival. Instead, it was far more disturbing to watch the Israeli military intervene. Hearing a stun grenade explode as Christians prepared for a permitted religious celebration brought into sharp focus the countless stories I have heard throughout my time in the West Bank. What I witnessed today should concern Christians around the world.”
Church leaders and residents are calling for guarantees that future religious celebrations will be allowed to proceed without disruption and that Christian communities throughout the Holy Land will be able to practice their faith freely and without fear. For more information, please visit For more information, visit: www.VulnerablePeopleProject.com OR www.SaveWestBankChristians.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Alexis Walkenstein
AWE PR, Founder and President
walkensteina@gmail.com
(561) 445-5409
About Jason Jones and the Vulnerable People Project:
Jason Jones is a film producer, author, human rights activist, and founder of the Vulnerable People Project (VPP). VPP serves vulnerable and persecuted communities around the world, advocating for those threatened by war, religious persecution, genocide, and political oppression. Through direct assistance, public advocacy, and strategic awareness campaigns, VPP works to defend human dignity and support vulnerable people regardless of faith, ethnicity, or nationality.
VPP is currently leading the Save West Bank Christians Campaign, an initiative dedicated to documenting threats to Christian communities, supporting local churches and families, and raising international awareness of the challenges facing Christians in the Holy Land.
SOURCE The Vulnerable People Project
CONTACT: Alexis Walkenstein, AWE PR, Founder and President, 561-445-5409, walkensteina@gmail.com