Pilgrim's Progress in Bethlehem . Hotel's fully booked. Mary and Joseph couldn't get a room there, either. Plus ça change, one might say, about news of a bed shortage in Jesus's birthplace, Bethlehem. But it is news. Tourism, the mainstay of the West Bank Palestinian town, has been in freefall for years now, a casualty ofIsrael's policy of ringing the town with settlements, so that it increasingly looks and feels like an open prison. Nothing much has improved on either front this year, yet Bethlehem's 34 hotels are fully booked this Christmas and the town is planning to build several more next year to cope with rising demand. Are pilgrims getting tougher? Perhaps they have been mulling John Bunyan's famous lines: "There's no discouragement, shall make him once relent, his first avowed intent, to be a pilgrim" -- O little town with big ideas: Welcome to Bethlehem Come all ye tourists: (subject to Israels permission) that's the message from Bethlehem, which is having some success in overcoming high unemployment and the Israeli blockade After years of financial depression amid violent confrontation with Israel, the West Bank city of Bethlehem is celebrating the beginnings of an economic revival. The ancient city, built around the Church of the Nativity on Manger Square that marks the grotto where Jesus is believed to have been born, has recently been re-energised by a combination of overseas investment, micro-finance initiatives and a record-breaking tourism rush. -- IMO - any economic recovery is entirely due to the Palestinian peoples tenacious resilience ..overcoming Zionist obstacles. VIVA PALESTINA . . ...
Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land has celebrated the United Nations' recent recognition of a Palestinian state in his annual pre-Christmas remarks. Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal told followers at the patriarchate's headquarters in Jerusalem on Monday that they were celebrating "two occasions, the birth of Christ our Lord and the birth of the state of Palestine." From Jerusalem, Twal set off in a procession for the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Jesus' traditional birthplace. There, he was reminded that life on the ground for Palestinians has not really changed since the statehood recognition last month. He had to enter the biblical city through a massive metal gate in the barrier of towering concrete slabs Israel built between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. -- Just last month the United Nations granted them the status of non-member observer state, and earlier this year they won their first UNESCO World Heritage Site designation — for Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity. The designation also included part of a pilgrimage route in Bethlehem, along which the traditional Christmas procession headed by the Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal will march later Monday. Thousands of tourists are expected to join Palestinian residents of the city — Muslim and Christian alike — in lining the route to welcome the procession, which includes dozens of musicians and scout troupes from across the West Bank. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/329355/thousands-flock-to-bethlehem-for-christmas ..
Santa Claus has been arrested and had his sleigh with all the Palestinian childrens presents impounded in Bethlehem today Obama and the Security Council are in crucial negotiations with Netanyahu to free him for tonight American and European kids are protesting and holding 'Free Santa' rallies as we speak
My first visit to te Holy Land was before 1967 with one of my Uncles who''s no longer with us. I consider myself very fortunate that he introduced to the region and to many good people who'd I'd not ever have met . Upto the the 1960s most people I knew was very sympathetic to Jews and went along with the Zionist version of the situation, until it later daan on us how we've been lied to . Interesting ly , its was when some us (other members of our family ) lerarn the facts , NOT from Arabs , but from other Jews, like True Torah Anti-Zionist Jews - in Stamford North London. At first my parents, members of the Internatonal Red CRoss , didnt believe them, but later accepted the facts and paid more attention .got around to my Uncle's view , who had more direct personal - on the ground - experience. having spent some years servicewithn British Council - throughout the Levant. From all accounts there was no such thing as "Land of Israel" when Jesus was born IN fact there was no Zionists entity called "Israel " before - 1948. Zionist claims are simply distortions of vague biblical myths used /abused in pursuance of good old fashion - GREED. ..... ...
