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Palestinian Police in Riot Gear |
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Church of the Nativity is almost empty |
Standing Strong |
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Using Christmas as a propaganda tool in Bethlehem |
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Bethlehem at Christmas is full of tensions and corruption while the new tool of the PA Press claiming an Arab Jesus without Jewish roots emerges |
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Isaiah 11:6 2 Thessalonians 2:15 |
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December 30, 2006
Two weeks before Christmas I was in Bethlehem to purchase some items that were not available in Jerusalem. I saw something I have never seen before in my life. On the main street there was a big crowd pushing and shoving each other to get into the bank. It looked like the scene with the run on the banks in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I asked my regular driver, name withheld, what was going on. He said that Hamas had just released some money to the bank so people could be paid. The money is only a small percentage of what is due to the public workers and teachers and it was on a first come first serve basis as to whether a person would even get the small percentage allowed. When the money ran out that would be it. The last I saw on the way in was a person throwing punches to advance in the mob toward the door. I wish I had my camera as I have never seen anything like this before. On my way out just two hours later, the bank was empty and no one was outside. The money must have run out. |
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In December 2006 and January 2007 over 70 people have been killed and over 250 wounded in fighting between Hamas and Fatah. |
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On Christmas Eve Lisa and I went to Bethlehem on the repeated invitation of G.(Name withheld for safety reasons) G. is a Greek Orthodox believing Arab. We work with him for the connections with the olive wood workers and he serves as our translator in Arabic. He is so on fire for the L-rd and is vehemently anti-Muslim. Living with the Muslim population that persecutes Christians in Bethlehem every day, he has nothing good to say for them although he is careful to not speak openly against the political parties. He stated to Al Jazeera press, the Hamas influenced paper, that the violence between Fatah and Hamas is not influencing the tourism to Bethlehem. He said everyone knows the fights in Gaza do not impact the safety of those in Bethlehem. I believe this was said to protect himself. We all know that tourism in Bethlehem is down. A student from Hong Kong changed his mind on going to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve due to the tensions caused by the fighting elsewhere. It is only because of our close relationship with G. and knowing he would be there with us and looking out for us that we agreed to come.
Going into Bethlehem was easy as always, for us. The IDF even had arranged for special busses for those coming in. Israel did all it could to show support to Bethlehem and the Christians wishing to make pilgrimage for Christmas. We went in on our own as the trip into Jerusalem to the central bus station to get the correct bus which would come back by our place on the way out to Bethlehem seemed a waste of time and money. I hear stories that it is hard to get in and out of the west bank for people to get work, but I have always witnessed ease of access for everyone who has their papers in order. Is there a slow down to check for security? Yes there is, but it is necessary and I see all people treated with respect who act in an orderly fashion. |
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The tension caused by so many people fighting for the same tourist dollar was felt immediately. Our regular taxi driver was by the check point and we went up to him for a ride to Manger Square where we would meet G. The other drivers started to argue vehemently with our driver, Abu O. Even though we use Abu at all times, he is a Muslim, but knows who we are and what we believe and does not appear to be a threat. We are even hoping that our discussions will show him the love of Jesus and the errors in the Koran. He has never shut down a conversation and has chances to hear the gospel regularly from us as we meet with Christian shop owners. (We try to visit just the Christian shops, to support those in the body of believers. The Muslim guides, hired by the PA, will not take anyone to the shops of Christians.) Abu O. put us in his cab and had a friend of his drive us to out location. This change of drivers was not the norm and caused me to have my senses go on high alert.
We had to walk the last four blocks to Manger Square as the roads were blocked off for the parade. While we did see police in riot gear, things were uneventful and we met G. and then went into the Church of the Nativity. It was beautiful as always, but sad to see it so empty on Christmas Eve. One incident occurred in the church that has never happened to me before. When I go into Bethlehem I do not wear a kippa, but do wear a hat. While we were in the church a PA policeman came up to me and told me I had to remove my hat. Usually people get to wear hats as they wish as many religions consider it disrespectful to not have one’s head covered in a church. I could tell by the policeman’s demeanor that he was checking to see if I had a kippa and was Jewish. I took off my hat, aware he was looking at the top of my head. He said OK and turned and left. Now that I wear a beard for the teaching at Bible |
