Exclusive: An Arab from the Christian village of Taybeh fired at Jewish residents. The army found in his possession a rifle and handgun

IDF forces arrested an Arab from the Christian village of Taybeh in Binyamin about a month ago, after he carried out a shooting attack two months earlier at a patrol vehicle belonging to one of the local farms. In his home, soldiers found a Kalashnikov rifle, a pistol, magazines, and ammunition.

It is worth noting that this is a Christian village that enjoys lobbying support in the United States — including from the current administration — despite the fact that the village hosts a branch of the Fatah terror organization, and many of its residents are very nationalistic and openly hostile towards Israel. The Palestinian Authority is exploiting this situation to increase pressure on the U.S. against Israel, through activists from the village.

The church that was never torched

A few months ago, a report circulated claiming that Jews had set fire to an ancient church in the village. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee even visited the site and later wrote that this was a “quiet village, with many American citizens, harmed by vandalism — including arson at an ancient church. Desecrating a church, mosque, or synagogue is a crime against humanity and against God.”

But not long afterwards, the police announced that there had been no arson of a church, and that the church had not been damaged at all. It turned out that the ones who ignited the brush near the site — which is not even a functioning church but an archaeological site — were Arabs. And it was Jews who extinguished the flames in the surrounding fields. In videos circulated by Arabs, supposedly showing Jews setting fires, the Jews are clearly seen holding leaf blowers and fire beaters, putting out the blaze that Arabs had started.

A special police investigative team from the Central Unit of the Judea and Samaria District, established by District Commander Moshe Pinchi, investigated the incident and concluded:

“Contrary to false reports and foreign media coverage regarding alleged arson at the ancient St. George church site in a‑Taybeh — we wish to clarify that these claims are factually incorrect, lack any evidentiary basis, and risk misleading the public. Findings collected at the scene show unequivocally that no damage was caused to the holy site.”