O, Little Joy In Bethlehem
As Christmas fast approaches, there is little joy in Bethlehem.
This Palestinian city, known to the world’s 1.8 billion Christians as birthplace of the Prince of Peace, has endured a year of fading hopes as the peace process with Israel unraveled and economic depression in the West Bank deepened.
“No official has to tell us how bad things are here. We can see it ourselves. Look at the square - no buses, no tourists,” complained Roberto Giacamen, a Palestinian Christian whose family runs a souvenir shop near the medieval Church of the Nativity, built over a cave believed to be Jesus’ birthplace.
Last December, fireworks lighted the Christmas Eve sky as Palestinians celebrated the Yuletide and the end of Israeli military occupation. Yasser Arafat arrived by helicopter as his Palestinian Authority took control of Bethlehem and six other West Bank cities under the interim self-rule accord with Israel.
In the heart of the city, at Manger Square, Palestinian merchants who sell olive wood carvings of the Nativity and other Christian icons were hopeful that Palestinian self-rule would mean better days ahead. Clergy and city officials envisioned a renaissance after nearly three decades of Israeli occupation.
Acknowledging that their depressed and dilapidated city is far away from the charming scenes reflected by Christmas carols and Bible stories, they hoped investors would build new hotels and restore the old city to accommodate a monthlong Yuletide celebration featuring outdoor concerts, craft fairs and religious gatherings.
The vision remains a Christmas wish in the grimy streets of Bethlehem, particularly as the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus’ birth approaches, a milestone expected to draw millions of Christian tourists to the Holy Land.
With the election of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his hardline government, the peace process has taken a nose dive and Israeli-Palestinian violence in September prompted Israel to fortify its blockade of Bethlehem and the rest of the West Bank.
The bloodshed caused a sharp drop in tourism in Bethlehem, as it did in Israel, and worried potential foreign investors.
Today, as during the time of Israeli occupation, Christian pilgrims and tourists usually come to Bethlehem by tour bus from Jerusalem and stay only long enough to see the Church of the Nativity and buy souvenirs at the nearby shops.
City officials claim that the number of visitors to Bethlehem is off 50 percent compared with 1995 and that unemployment has soared above 40 percent.
The city’s longtime mayor, Elias Freij, a Palestinian Christian, complains that the municipality is even lacking the revenues to mount a decent Christmas display.
“Israel has frozen and destroyed Bethlehem’s economy,” he complained.
A border closure was imposed after suicide bombings by Islamic militants killed at least 60 in Israel in February and March. The blockade deterred tourists who wished to visit Bethlehem and prevented Palestinian workers from reaching jobs in Israel.
As a result, Bethlehem’s tax revenues are down and the municipality is lacking some $30,000 for its $70,000 budget for Christmas displays. As in past years, the city will depend heavily on donations from foreign governments and religious groups.
“Although we will celebrate and decorate Bethlehem, it will not be the same as the previous years,” Freij said.