Israeli Security Barrier Continues to Cast Shadow on Bethlehem

The roughly 10km road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem was most likely one of the routes taken by Jesus 2000 years ago. Today giant concrete blocks slice through the former main road uncompromisingly and much to the detriment of Christian pilgrimage to the birthplace of Christ.

|TOP|Once an open road, a giant wall of concrete cuts across the road and any visitors to the Palestinian town of Bethlehem will not get through without first passing through a high security check point.

As Bethlehem’s large Christian minority continues to drain from the town, pilgrims to the town are also feeling the squeeze of the blocks, barriers and security checkpoints, reports the BBC.

Pastor Jim Lindus of the Trinity Lutheran Church in the United States is just one of many church leaders around the world who lead their parishioners to the Church of Nativity.

He confesses that the security situation has killed the former joy in making the annual pilgrim.
"We have been coming here for 11 years, and we always think it is important to come to Bethlehem. But it has changed drastically," he explained. "Much of the joy has gone."
|AD|"When we first came, there were crowds here, lots of crowds here. But the security... it's very sad to come through the Wall, for our people to see the wall and see what the people are going through here."
Local businesses that depend on the visitors coming to Bethlehem continue to struggle under the present security situation as new hotels remain unfilled and souvenirs remain unsold on the shop shelves.

Jamal Nashash, who runs the souvenir shop Holy Manger Store, said: “No good politics, no good business, and no good tourism. If it’s good politics, it’s many tourists we have.”

Members of the Christian minority population in Bethlehem continue leave the town. While the Christian population of Bethlehem once stood at 95 per cent it has dwindled to just one third.

Christians in Bethlehem took the arrival of Hamas in the Palestinian parliament rather well but the security barrier is yet another difficulty in their daily lives that makes leaving the town an increasingly easy option.

One local suffering firsthand from the barrier is Christian landowner Jamal Salman who has seen a large section of his land eaten up by the barrier.

He told the BBC of the unpromising future: "I think maybe within maybe 30 or 40 years, Christians in Bethlehem will be a very small minority... Bethlehem should have Christians living in it."