WASHINGTON
US inaction over increasing attacks by Israeli occupiers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is driven by “power and influence” rather than principles such as human rights or accountability, according to a Palestinian-American human rights lawyer.
“The US can do a lot about this, but the problem is they don’t,” Jonathan Kuttab told Anadolu in an interview, arguing that Washington’s response reflects political considerations rather than a commitment to international law.
“The reason they don't has nothing to do with principles and values and democracy and human rights and accountability. It has to do with power and influence,” he said.
Kuttab, an international human rights lawyer and executive director of Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), a Christian ecumenical organization seeking justice and peace in the Holy Land through nonviolence and education, said the recent spike in occupier attacks -- including those targeting Christian communities -- should be understood as part of a broader pattern of violence against Palestinians.
“Attacks against Christians are mostly attacks against Palestinians, whether they are Muslim or Christian,” he said, noting a “marked increase” in occupier violence across the West Bank.
His comments came as church leaders in Jerusalem warned of escalating assaults on Christian communities in areas such as Taybeh, Birzeit and Beit Sahour, including land seizures, threats and destruction of property.
Kuttab said occupiers are increasingly emboldened by a sense that they will not face consequences.
“There’s a sense of impunity…that this is the time when we can do anything we want,” he said, arguing that recent developments in Gaza have reinforced that perception.
“What Gaza has taught them is that the world does not care, is that they can do whatever they want with impunity,” he added.
Occupiers do not distinguish between Muslims or Christians
According to Kuttab, this reflects a broader shift within Israeli society, where adherence to international law and concern over global perception have weakened.
“Those elements that cared about image and that cared about international law … are very weak now in Israeli society,” he said, adding that more extreme attitudes have become normalized.
He warned that this dynamic is contributing to a wider erosion of legal and moral constraints, replaced by what he described as a power-driven approach.
“They can be open with their hatred of others, whether it's Muslims or Christians, and get away with it,” he said.
“And it's hard to argue with somebody who says ‘I am powerful. I can do whatever I want.’ To tell them that we need to live in a world that's governed by law, by values, by principles,” he added.
While attacks on Christian communities have drawn attention recently, Kuttab emphasized that Israeli occupiers do not distinguish between religious groups.
US, international community’s failure to enforce accountability
Kuttab also criticized what he described as the failure of the US and international community to enforce accountability, despite repeated appeals.
He argued that the current trajectory reflects a broader global shift away from rule-based systems.
“Either you have a system based on international law…or whoever has power can do whatever they want,” he said, warning of a move toward “the law of the jungle.”
US-Israeli war on Iran
Kuttab linked the worsening situation in the West Bank to wider regional tensions, including the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran, which he said has further destabilized the region and diverted attention from conditions on the ground.
“When the guns are shooting and the bombs are flying, it’s very hard to have a rational conversation,” he said.
He warned that continued violence risks deepening cycles of retaliation and instability.
“Violence only creates more violence…and invites retaliation,” he said.
Calling for a shift in priorities, Kuttab urged greater focus on diplomacy, international law and improving living conditions.
“War doesn’t solve any problem for anybody,” he said. “We need to move away from war and violence.”
Asked whether the US raised concerns about increasing attacks against Christians in the West Bankk with Israeli authorities, a State Department official told Anadolu, “We are in regular dialogue with the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority about improving stability in the West Bank, which includes protecting Christians and Christian property.”
