INTERVIEW - Palestinian Christian town Taybeh seeks justice in US courts over occupier ‘terrorism’: Mayor

• The lawsuits would target American Jews and American associations that support settlements, Suleiman Khourieh says

The Christian-majority town of Taybeh, northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, is preparing to pursue legal action in the US against Israeli occupiers over attacks on Palestinian residents, homes, land and livelihoods, the town’s mayor said.

In an interview with Anadolu, Taybeh Mayor Suleiman Khourieh said the municipality has begun contacts with a specialized rights group in the US to file civil lawsuits before American courts against occupiers.

The town is seeking to use the fact that many affected residents hold US citizenship or permanent residency, known as green cards, he said.

“We are always trying, day and night, to curb these occupiers by all means,” Khourieh said.

“That is why we intend to file lawsuits in the US, because most of our lands are owned by people who hold American citizenship or green cards. Therefore, in the US, we have the right to file cases against those occupiers,” he added.

“In recent days, we contacted an association in the US to file civil cases in American courts against the occupiers,” he said.

Taybeh is one of the most prominent Christian-majority towns in the occupied West Bank. It includes churches, religious and archaeological sites, while agriculture and tourism are sources of income for many residents.

In recent months, the town has seen a rise in occupier attacks on homes, land and livelihoods, amid local and church warnings that the continued attacks could push more families and young people to consider emigration.

Israeli legal path ‘failed’

Khourieh said several Taybeh residents had previously turned to Israeli courts over attacks or damage they suffered, but did not see deterrent results or restoration of their rights.

“That failure pushed the municipality to search for an alternative legal track outside Israel, particularly in the US, where many Taybeh residents or landowners live or hold citizenship,” he said.

The mayor said the attacks include arson, theft, killings, and racist slogans and threats written on homes, as well as attacks on livestock pens and horse stables and the takeover of facilities in the town.

“All of this has been taken over by occupiers, in addition to preventing us from entering 16,000 dunams of our land,” he said.

Taybeh is surrounded by illegal settlements and settlement outposts, while residents say the attacks are no longer isolated incidents but part of a daily reality that increasingly restricts access to agricultural and grazing land.

“The goal of the expected legal action is to press for an end to the attacks and hold those involved accountable, rather than settling for political condemnations that residents say have not changed the situation on the ground,” Khourieh said.

The mayor said the municipality is currently preparing documents and evidence of the occupier attacks to support the lawsuits, in coordination with a US rights group whose name was not disclosed.

The move raises legal questions over the jurisdiction of US courts regarding acts committed outside the US, and whether the status of plaintiffs as US citizens or permanent residents could provide grounds for such lawsuits.

It also raises the possibility of pursuing institutions or bodies believed to provide funding or support to occupiers.

“The lawsuits would target American Jews and American associations that support settlements,” Khourieh said.

“The US-based group coordinating with the municipality had told us that there was a strong possibility the lawsuits would be accepted,” he said, adding that the town is now preparing the needed documents and evidence.

Legal attempt to curb occupiers

Khourieh placed the new legal move within a broader context of international contacts conducted by the Taybeh municipality over the past years, which he said also brought no concrete results.

“Almost all ambassadors of the world visited us, along with ministers from different countries,” he said.

“They all promised us, but until now we have not seen any benefit from them, and until now they have not curbed any occupier,” he added.

The move comes amid escalating occupier violence in the West Bank and growing international criticism of the Israeli government over its failure to take sufficient measures to prosecute attackers.

“Taybeh will continue searching for ways to curb occupiers,” the mayor said, adding that turning to US courts came after previous tracks failed to protect Palestinians or stop the attacks.

The move comes days after US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited the town of Turmus Ayya near Ramallah, where he met Palestinians holding US citizenship and relatives of American citizens killed in occupier attacks.

During Saturday’s visit, Huckabee described occupier attacks on Palestinians, including burning cars and mosques and storming and vandalizing homes, as “an act of terrorism,” and called for the perpetrators to be prosecuted.

Huckabee said the US Embassy does not have the authority to investigate crimes, but can inform the Israeli government of the need to address specific cases and crimes, stressing that such acts cannot continue without investigation and accountability.

His visit coincided with occupiers entering the eastern part of Turmus Ayya, about 100 meters from where the ambassador was present, according to municipal council member Awad Abu Samra.

​​​​​​​The envoy’s visit adds further weight to efforts by Palestinian-Americans to pursue legal action in US courts against those involved in attacks against Palestinians.