That Not So Little Town Of Bethlehem

The town of Bethlehem

The town of Bethlehem

Jerusalem and Bethlehem are separated by just a couple of kilometers but they feel like a world apart.  These two cities are linked by biblical history but today they are separated by a wall.  Jerusalem is controlled by Israel and Bethlehem is controlled by the Palestinians.  Israel has taken the liberty of building a wall between Bethlehem and Jerusalem and setting up a check point between the two cities.

The wall that separates Jerusalem from Bethlehem

The wall that separates Jerusalem from Bethlehem

So as my wife and I passed unceremoniously through the checkpoint from Jerusalem to Bethlehem we entered a Palestinian controlled city in the West Bank for the first time.  Our tour guide from Israel, Shalom Langer, was not allowed to accompany us on this part of the journey.  Israeli’s are forbidden by their government to enter any Palestinian controlled areas.  Luckily, Shalom had befriended a couple of Palestinian tour guides, Adnan and Nadali who met us on the other side of the wall.

Entering the checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem

Entering the checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem

As we drove through the streets of Bethlehem, Adnan proclaimed, “Welcome to that little town of Bethlehem!”  However today, Bethlehem is not that little town with just a few buildings but a city with a population over twenty-five thousand people and has a Muslim majority with a small Palestinian Christian minority.  Prior to planning this trip I had no idea that Bethlehem was primarily muslim as I always thought of Bethlehem as a bastion of Christian symbolism.  Clearly, the infrastructure of Bethlehem was behind that of Jerusalem.  For the first time, I saw the effect that Israeli control has over Palestinian cities.  Tourism drives Bethlehem’s economy and the city did not seem busy at all considering August is a prime time for tourism.

Entrance to the Church of Nativity

Entrance to the Church of Nativity

As Nadali took us through the Church of the Nativity (proposed spot where Jesus was born) I wanted to talk to him about Bethlehem but he didn’t want to talk to much.  Unfortunately, Nadali seemed defeated or maybe just tired as it was the last day of Ramadan and he had been fasting all day.  Although the UN granted Palestine observer state status in 2012, Nadali inferred that this victory does not represent reality.  In his words, ” Make no mistake, Israel controls us.”  The many walls that have been built and checkpoints established by the Israeli’s clearly demonstrate the control they have over many areas in the West Bank.  He also stated that tourism is way down in Bethlehem.  As we strolled through the Church of Nativity, there were very few tourists and there was no line to visit the proposed spot inside the church where Jesus was born.

Proposed spot where Jesus was born inside the Church of Nativity

Proposed spot where Jesus was born inside the Church of Nativity

Nadali stated a few years back, there would usually be a long line to visit this attraction but tourism was way down.  Of course, unrest in nearby Syria and the Arab Spring was not helping the tourism sector in the region.  In addition, the wall and checkpoints built between Jerusalem and Bethlehem doesn’t exactly create an inviting experience for tourists.

Proposed site of the manger

Proposed site of the manger

Although Adnan and Nadali rarely see Shalom, due to restrictions in place by the Israeli government, they have a nice working relationship.  As Nadali stated, “Shalom is a good man,” and I am pretty sure Shalom feels the same way about Adnan and Nadali. It was nice to see the mutual respect that two people, a Palestinian and Israeli, had for one another.  Despite the tension between the two sides, these type of relationships between two individuals gave me a small glimmer of hope that some type of resolution may be achieved in the future.

 

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