Extrajudicial assassinations by Israel set the Palestinian-Israeli arena again aflame
Saleh Al-Naami, Al Ahram Weekly, 20 - 26 March 2008, Issue No. 889
Mohamed Shehada, head of Islamic Jihad's military wing in the West Bank and one of the most prominent men wanted by Israel, returned last Wednesday to the rubble of his family's home in Bethlehem. Bulldozers had destroyed it three days earlier. He went, in the company of four other resistance fighters wanted by Israel, only after feeling reassured by an unannounced truce reached between Israel and Palestinian resistance factions via Egyptian mediation. As the five were preparing to leave the site, they were hit by a hail of bullets shot by 12 members of a special undercover unit that is one of the elite death squads of the Israeli army in the West Bank. All five were killed.
The scene as viewed on television shook the Palestinian public and put an end to seven days of calm in the Palestinian-Israeli arena. During that period, resistance movements had halted operations, particularly in the Gaza Strip where they committed to not firing rockets on Israeli settlements near the Strip. Yet Israeli Minister of Defence Ehud Barak spoke proudly of the assassinations, saying, "Israel is committed to pursuing Palestinian resistance fighters who have been involved in operations that have struck Jews." Official Israeli spokespersons stressed that the truce could not imply halting assassinations of members of the resistance in the West Bank.
There is no dispute among Palestinian and Israeli commentators over
one fact: that through the assassinations in Bethlehem, Israel wanted
to impose new rules in the game with Palestinian resistance factions.
Avi Sekerov and Amos Harel, commentators in Haaretz newspaper,
stressed that the person who ordered the operation realised that it
would lead to an explosion of the security situation in the Gaza Strip
and would take matters back to square one.
Israeli Deputy Defence Minister Matan Vilnai announced: "We will not
allow the Palestinians to determine for us the timing, location, or
conditions of security operations we see as serving Israeli
interests." Vilnai added that the most that Israel could commit to was
halting its operations in Gaza in return for an absolute end to the
firing of rockets.
Observers in Israel also point to the role of political and personal
considerations in motivating Israeli leaders to escalate the
situation. Akifa Elder, an Israeli political commentator, holds that
Barak, who heads the Labour Party, intends to compete in the upcoming
legislative elections for the post of prime minister against
right-wing opposition leader Benyamin Netanyahu. "Barak wants to
exploit his position as the minister of defence to display himself to
Israeli public opinion as a decisive political and security leader by
issuing instructions to execute more military operations that catch
attention," he said.
Barak's role in destroying efforts at a truce has been discussion
material for the Israeli media. Israeli writer and intellectual Gideon
Levy says that Barak works with all his might to destroy efforts at a
truce. "Barak hasn't talked about peace for a long time, and he surely
doesn't believe in the peaceful efforts made by Olmert. In fact, he
does all he can to destroy what little remains of them," he wrote in
Haaretz. He added: "Whenever a ray of hope is seen for reaching a
truce agreement, Barak has rushed to issue orders for stupid and
dangerous assassinations, as happened in calm Bethlehem, just to set
the situation aflame again. When the Palestinians stop firing
missiles, Barak does all he can to resume the firing so that he has an
excuse to wage a major invasion in the Gaza Strip."
Levy noted that the security establishment led by Barak was insulting
the authority of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, "as though there
were no negotiations or Israeli commitments... on peace".
In the Palestinian arena, the assassinations were embarrassing for the
leaders of Palestinian factions that had promised Egypt to halt
attacks on settlements in southern Israel so as to allow Cairo to
reach a comprehensive deal. Islamic Jihad, the most compromised before
their popular base, had little alternative but to respond by firing
tens of rockets on settlements near the Gaza Strip. Observers in the
Palestinian arena hold that Israel's violation of the truce is a slap
in the face for Egyptian efforts to reach a mutual truce. Nafidh
Azzam, a prominent leader in Islamic Jihad, considers the
assassinations in Bethlehem an Israeli response to Egyptian efforts.
"Until Israel is convinced about reaching a mutual, concurrent and
comprehensive peace, and lifts the siege on the Palestinian people, we
are free in responding to any aggressive act from Israel with all our
might," he told Al-Ahram Weekly.
Ayman Youssef, professor of international relations at the American
University in Jenin, says that decision- makers in Israel hold that it
is not in their interest to reach a truce at this time. "Israel is
distributing the cards of the game over a large area, and then will
collect them in a manner that serves its interests and benefits from
the internal struggle between Fatah and Hamas and the separation of
the West Bank from the Gaza Strip," he told the Weekly.
Youssef holds that Israel is worried about Egyptian efforts to secure
a comprehensive deal because such a deal would threaten Israel's most
important accomplishments -- internal Palestinian conflict and the
separation of the West Bank from the Gaza Strip. Youssef suggests that
the Israelis realise that any comprehensive agreement between Israel
and the Palestinian factions will not succeed unless a settlement is
reached on the conflict between Fatah and Hamas.
Reopening the Rafah Crossing, for example, will not be possible if
there is no domestic Palestinian accord that allows administration of
the crossing. Youssef also rejects the view that the United States has
changed its position on a truce between Israel and Hamas. He believes,
alternatively, that the position of the US on a truce between Hamas
and Israel is tied to Washington's intentions towards Iran. "If
expectations that President Bush will attack Iran during the final
three months of his term spell true, the American administration will
at that time be interested in a truce on all fronts in the region,
including Palestine; but it will be a temporary truce aiming only to
enhance Washington's ability to execute its plans," he said.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians participated in the funeral of
Mohamed Shehada and his companions, and called on Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas to halt negotiations with Israel and return to
dialogue with Hamas. Fatah's military wing, Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades,
also called on Abbas to dismiss his prime minister, Salam Fayyad. In a
statement passed to the Weekly, Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades stated that
continued Israeli aggression leaves one option open: "working
faithfully to regain the unity of the Palestinian people since that is
the most important source of strength it has."
Saeb Erekat, director of the Negotiations Department in the Palestine
Liberation Organisation, holds that Israel is persistently working to
weaken Abbas and shame him before the Palestinian people. "Through
escalating the aggression, Israel aims to extricate itself from its
commitments in the roadmap, make negotiations fail before they begin,
and cut off the path for Egyptian efforts to reach a comprehensive
truce," he told the Weekly.
Erekat does not hide his bitterness towards the American position, saying, "at the time when American security coordinator Keith Dayton announced that the Palestinian Authority (PA) was upholding its security commitments as best as possible, and frankly accused Israel of impeding the PA's security efforts, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice insisted on holding the PA and Israel equally responsible for the exploding security situation causing negotiations to stumble. This is injustice and bias."
(c) Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
Showing posts with label bethlehem. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bethlehem. Show all posts
Thursday, 20 March 2008
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner visits Bethlehem
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner In Bethlehem
Al-Kull Channel - March 19, 2008
Al-Kull Channel - March 19, 2008
Saturday, 15 March 2008
Life goes on in Bethlehem in spite of the wall
A small montage of the lives of Bethlehemites
"Al-Kull" Channel - March 15, 2008
"Al-Kull" Channel - March 15, 2008
Monday, 10 December 2007
Banksy on festive mission in Bethlehem
Reuters, ABC News - Tuesday December 4, 2007
British graffiti artist Banksy is trying to bring cheer and boost tourism in Bethlehem this Christmas with a series of subversive murals in the town revered as Jesus's birthplace.
The elusive street artist has painted six provocative new images - including a dove of peace strapped with a bulletproof vest and a young girl with pigtails frisking an Israeli soldier - on buildings around the West Bank town.
Banksy, who has achieved cult status for his edgy satirical images, has also converted a fast food shop opposite Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity into an art gallery showing work by artists from the Palestinian territories and abroad.
The artist's images have fetched hundreds of thousands of dollars in auctions and his customers include Hollywood star Angelina Jolie.
But Banksy keeps his real identity secret and almost never gives interviews.
Other artists exhibiting in Bethlehem say they hope the show will draw attention to life in the occupied West Bank and help forge links between local and international artists.
"It's important for people to come to Bethlehem and actually see what's happening rather than just doing the usual art collector thing and making a deal over the phone," British artist Peter Kennard told Reuters.
Bethlehem residents say military checkpoints and Israel's West Bank barrier, which cuts into Palestinian land, is stifling tourism and damaging Bethlehem's economy.
Eye-catching
Banksy made headlines in 2005 by painting a series of playful images on the Palestinian side of the barrier, which Israel says it built to keep out suicide bombers.
The new images are more eye-catching.
Pilgrims arriving in Bethlehem for Christmas will see a huge mural of a dove on the side of a house riddled with bullet holes. The dove faces an Israeli military watchtower and is wearing a bullet-proof vest.
Around the corner, one of Banksy's trademark stencilled rats is pictured poised with a catapult aimed at another watchtower.
At the exhibition, he is showing a sculpture of a Christmas cherub with a rock piercing its stomach and blood frothing from the wound.
All pieces at the exhibition will be sold to the highest bidder and the proceeds donated to local charities.
Ironic or offensive?
The irony behind one mural of an Israeli soldier asking a donkey for his identity papers has been lost on some locals, who find it offensive.
But Salem Salman, who runs a souvenir shop opposite, thinks it is funny, and makes a neat political point.
"I like it," said Mr Salman, who sells Virgin Mary miniatures to pilgrims on daytrips from Jerusalem.
"It describes the situation here, the occupation. It shows how the Israeli soldiers treat us like animals."
======================================
Yesterday in parliament
Press Association
Wednesday December 5, 2007
Guardian Unlimited
BANKSY
Notorious graffiti artist Banksy received the stamp of approval from the establishment after his latest work was praised by MPs. Banksy recently targeted the Holy Land with a series of stencilled works on the security wall in Bethlehem.
Veteran Labour MP Gerald Kaufman (Manchester Gorton) tabled a motion saying that his depictions were a far more accurate portrayal of life in the Holy Land than the images presented by the Israeli government.
British graffiti artist Banksy is trying to bring cheer and boost tourism in Bethlehem this Christmas with a series of subversive murals in the town revered as Jesus's birthplace.
The elusive street artist has painted six provocative new images - including a dove of peace strapped with a bulletproof vest and a young girl with pigtails frisking an Israeli soldier - on buildings around the West Bank town.
Banksy, who has achieved cult status for his edgy satirical images, has also converted a fast food shop opposite Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity into an art gallery showing work by artists from the Palestinian territories and abroad.
The artist's images have fetched hundreds of thousands of dollars in auctions and his customers include Hollywood star Angelina Jolie.
But Banksy keeps his real identity secret and almost never gives interviews.
Other artists exhibiting in Bethlehem say they hope the show will draw attention to life in the occupied West Bank and help forge links between local and international artists.
"It's important for people to come to Bethlehem and actually see what's happening rather than just doing the usual art collector thing and making a deal over the phone," British artist Peter Kennard told Reuters.
Bethlehem residents say military checkpoints and Israel's West Bank barrier, which cuts into Palestinian land, is stifling tourism and damaging Bethlehem's economy.
Eye-catching
Banksy made headlines in 2005 by painting a series of playful images on the Palestinian side of the barrier, which Israel says it built to keep out suicide bombers.
The new images are more eye-catching.
Pilgrims arriving in Bethlehem for Christmas will see a huge mural of a dove on the side of a house riddled with bullet holes. The dove faces an Israeli military watchtower and is wearing a bullet-proof vest.
Around the corner, one of Banksy's trademark stencilled rats is pictured poised with a catapult aimed at another watchtower.
At the exhibition, he is showing a sculpture of a Christmas cherub with a rock piercing its stomach and blood frothing from the wound.
All pieces at the exhibition will be sold to the highest bidder and the proceeds donated to local charities.
Ironic or offensive?
The irony behind one mural of an Israeli soldier asking a donkey for his identity papers has been lost on some locals, who find it offensive.
But Salem Salman, who runs a souvenir shop opposite, thinks it is funny, and makes a neat political point.
"I like it," said Mr Salman, who sells Virgin Mary miniatures to pilgrims on daytrips from Jerusalem.
"It describes the situation here, the occupation. It shows how the Israeli soldiers treat us like animals."
======================================
Yesterday in parliament
Press Association
Wednesday December 5, 2007
Guardian Unlimited
BANKSY
Notorious graffiti artist Banksy received the stamp of approval from the establishment after his latest work was praised by MPs. Banksy recently targeted the Holy Land with a series of stencilled works on the security wall in Bethlehem.
Veteran Labour MP Gerald Kaufman (Manchester Gorton) tabled a motion saying that his depictions were a far more accurate portrayal of life in the Holy Land than the images presented by the Israeli government.
Monday, 3 December 2007
VIDEO: I am a Bethlehemite
Open Bethlehem
Open Bethlehem is an international campaign to save the city of Bethlehem.
Our endorsers include:
The Mayor of Bethlehem, Dr. Victor Batarseh
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Cardinal McCarrick, Head of the Catholic Church in the US
President Jimmy Carter
Friday, 28 September 2007
A conversation with Dr Victor Batarseh, Mayor of Bethlehem
‘Visit the cradle of Christianity’ – plea to world
16 September, 2007, The Catholic Weekly
The Catholic Mayor of Bethlehem, Dr Victor Batarseh, visited Sydney last month to 'twin' his ancient, multi-racial home city with the Sydney suburb of Marrickville, one of Sydney's most multi-cultural communities, and to invite Australians of all religions to visit Bethlehem. A retired surgeon, Dr Batarseh, 72, seeks in his world travels to highlight the sufferings of his city, to win as many friends as he can in an international campaign, Open Bethlehem, a core component of which is the "granting" of a Bethlehem 'passport'. His goal is to increase employment in the troubled city and to rebuild its tourist status. At the heart of the campaign is provision of free access to and from the city.
In a conversation with Brian Davies, Dr Batarseh explains the stress and hardships of life in the pilgrims' city and its first problem. “They (Israeli forces) come over looking for anyone who might do anything against Israel, try to imprison them and, if they do not give themselves up, then they take them by force or sometimes they shoot them. All this has had a terrible impact on the people of Bethlehem. It’s why tourism has come down to 10 per cent of normal tourism; even when the tourists come over they don’t stay overnight in Bethlehem. They just come to the Church of the Nativity and then go back to Jerusalem.”
--------------------------
Q. So it’s no wonder tourism has faded drastically?
Well, they used to stay in Bethlehem, but, you know, the bad propaganda propagated by outside travel agents linked with Israel puts them off. They say Bethlehem is unsafe, that it’s more expensive than Jerusalem. It has had a very bad effect on tourism to Bethlehem and with this wall Israel has built and its checkpoints – this wall is a big syndrome against tourism to Bethlehem. And, you know, tourism is the main source of income in Bethlehem, for its citizens. The other contours of income include labour in Israel proper, but this has come down, too, to about 15 per cent, because any person who wants to leave Bethlehem to go to Israel has to get a special permit from the Israeli authorities which is rarely granted to anyone; they can take days to be issued. Even on health, you have to change ambulances and that can still be a 24-hour delay. So labour in Israel for us in Bethlehem is also down to about 15 per cent. Our other income was agriculture and most of the agricultural land in Bethlehem is now cut off by the Israeli wall of separation. All of our olive trees are behind the wall so the citizens cannot go and harvest their olive trees. That’s why we have economic stress, very high economic stress. More than 55 per cent of the population in Bethlehem lives below the poverty line.
Q. How are they supported?
Non-government organisations have set up in Bethlehem and we have some international aid agency support.
Q. Just going back to the Open Bethlehem campaign and the message you take with you about the plight of Bethlehem, what sort of impact have you had elsewhere?
Well it has given a good result: we had one day in Italy where they brought along about 40 travel agents and we spoke to them for most of the day, stressing how safe Bethlehem is for tourists and how Bethlehem is much cheaper than Jerusalem. We really had a very good result after that, but a few months later the Israeli and Lebanese war started and everything went bad again.
Q. That sounds a bit like the mayor of any city wanting to promote his against rivals; what you don’t refer to is the political situation that gives rise to these problems. When do you talk to political leaders of influence?
I talk not only to travel agents, but to political leaders abroad. Some of these leaders say that it is unsafe to go to Palestine, unsafe to go to Bethlehem. This is due to the powerful Zionist lobby all over the world and you know also the media is biased all over the world against the Palestinians and this adds up to preventing tourists and pilgrims coming to Bethlehem.
Q. Can you foresee a point at which Israeli policies and the situation of Palestine will somehow or other resolve amicably or how else do we arrive at a resolution of the problems you’re describing?
We hope this conflict can be solved peacefully, resolved peacefully, because this is the only way. Palestinians do not have an army. Israel has the mightiest army in the Middle East; they are a nuclear power and the only way we can reach peace is through peaceful ways, but we have to have world support on the UN resolutions, the key words to force Israel to comply with the UN resolutions . . . if the world won’t pressure Israel to meet these resolutions then I don’t see a way to peace, the only way to peace we would have liked, the ideal solution – a one state comprising all three religions. The Israelis would not accept this; that’s why we now accept a two-state solution, but tell me, where is the Palestinian state going to be, with all these settlements dividing the Palestinian citizens among themselves and into by-roads? There is no more land to build a viable Palestinian state.
Q. What would it take to persuade Israel to make whatever concessions are appropriate – yours, too – to achieve the two-state solution?
We have given all our concessions as Palestinians. All our land has been taken by the Israelis. Whatever they are going to give in way of concessions they are giving us back part of what we owned in the historical time and this part is only 13 to 18 per cent of historical Palestine and we are ready to accept that small part of our original land, but, unfortunately, until now Israel is manipulating the whole world and playing with words and building something solid on the ground: these illegal settlements in the West Bank. And they’re still building, up and down. These settlements will be a hindrance to the future, a hindrance to peaceful solution..
Q. You obviously see the Palestinian-Israeli situation as the core of the Middle East? If it was resolved might much of the difficulties of the rest of the Middle East also be resolved? What’s your view?
The core and the centre really of this problem in the Middle East is the Palestinian-Israeli issue. If that was resolved then we would have peace in the Middle East and all over the world and I think the US and the European Union should think better; they should try to be more balanced in their policies. They should really make Israel accept all the UN resolutions. They should not use force of arms; there are other ways of forcing Israel to listen. Remember what happened to South Africa, how change was finally made there by boycotting? Boycotting Israel – this is the way. You might go for one year or so, but it is a way, a peaceful way of forcing Israel to adopt the UN resolutions.
Q. So you would turn to the UN and Europe and the Western world to follow that through ?
Yes, of course . . .
Q. Do you see a role for the Vatican and the Church generally?
A big role. Don’t forget Bethlehem for Christians all over the world is the ‘mainland’ of the faith – the cradle of Bethlehem. Bethlehem and Palestine are the cradle of Christianity so they should look after it and not abandon this land. They should use their powers, the Church’s powers, the Vatican’s powers, to try to make peace in the Holy Land. By powers, I mean moral powers – and political power.
Q. What’s your message to Australians Christians in general, Catholics in particular?
I send a message from Bethlehem that the star of Bethlehem always shines and always sends messages of peace and love to all the world. To all, I say of this small city, this cradle of Christianity, don’t abandon Bethlehem. Bethlehem is the city of all Christians all over the world – every Christian anywhere in the world is considered by us to be a citizen of this holy city. Don’t abandon your city; come over, visit the city, visit the holy Church of the Nativity, spend some time in this city. In this way you’ll stand in solidarity with the city of Bethlehem and with the citizens of Bethlehem. We need you, we need your help, we need your prayers, we need to see you among us. By coming in hundreds and thousands you will, psychological, break this wall of separation that has been built by Israel.
Q. Others would say Bethlehem is not entirely Christian; after all it’s also very important to Muslims and Jews.
We have them all living in the city of Bethlehem, OK? We have been living together as good neighbours and we will remain living together as good neighbours . . . living together in the city of Bethlehem – a model of co-existence between these religions. Palestine was a model of co-existence between the three religions before the existence of Israel, before 1948. That is what we care for. This is what we aim for – to have co-existence between all religions and all nations.
Copyright © 2007 The Catholic Weekly - Sydney
16 September, 2007, The Catholic Weekly
The Catholic Mayor of Bethlehem, Dr Victor Batarseh, visited Sydney last month to 'twin' his ancient, multi-racial home city with the Sydney suburb of Marrickville, one of Sydney's most multi-cultural communities, and to invite Australians of all religions to visit Bethlehem. A retired surgeon, Dr Batarseh, 72, seeks in his world travels to highlight the sufferings of his city, to win as many friends as he can in an international campaign, Open Bethlehem, a core component of which is the "granting" of a Bethlehem 'passport'. His goal is to increase employment in the troubled city and to rebuild its tourist status. At the heart of the campaign is provision of free access to and from the city.
In a conversation with Brian Davies, Dr Batarseh explains the stress and hardships of life in the pilgrims' city and its first problem. “They (Israeli forces) come over looking for anyone who might do anything against Israel, try to imprison them and, if they do not give themselves up, then they take them by force or sometimes they shoot them. All this has had a terrible impact on the people of Bethlehem. It’s why tourism has come down to 10 per cent of normal tourism; even when the tourists come over they don’t stay overnight in Bethlehem. They just come to the Church of the Nativity and then go back to Jerusalem.”
--------------------------
Q. So it’s no wonder tourism has faded drastically?
Well, they used to stay in Bethlehem, but, you know, the bad propaganda propagated by outside travel agents linked with Israel puts them off. They say Bethlehem is unsafe, that it’s more expensive than Jerusalem. It has had a very bad effect on tourism to Bethlehem and with this wall Israel has built and its checkpoints – this wall is a big syndrome against tourism to Bethlehem. And, you know, tourism is the main source of income in Bethlehem, for its citizens. The other contours of income include labour in Israel proper, but this has come down, too, to about 15 per cent, because any person who wants to leave Bethlehem to go to Israel has to get a special permit from the Israeli authorities which is rarely granted to anyone; they can take days to be issued. Even on health, you have to change ambulances and that can still be a 24-hour delay. So labour in Israel for us in Bethlehem is also down to about 15 per cent. Our other income was agriculture and most of the agricultural land in Bethlehem is now cut off by the Israeli wall of separation. All of our olive trees are behind the wall so the citizens cannot go and harvest their olive trees. That’s why we have economic stress, very high economic stress. More than 55 per cent of the population in Bethlehem lives below the poverty line.
Q. How are they supported?
Non-government organisations have set up in Bethlehem and we have some international aid agency support.
Q. Just going back to the Open Bethlehem campaign and the message you take with you about the plight of Bethlehem, what sort of impact have you had elsewhere?
Well it has given a good result: we had one day in Italy where they brought along about 40 travel agents and we spoke to them for most of the day, stressing how safe Bethlehem is for tourists and how Bethlehem is much cheaper than Jerusalem. We really had a very good result after that, but a few months later the Israeli and Lebanese war started and everything went bad again.
Q. That sounds a bit like the mayor of any city wanting to promote his against rivals; what you don’t refer to is the political situation that gives rise to these problems. When do you talk to political leaders of influence?
I talk not only to travel agents, but to political leaders abroad. Some of these leaders say that it is unsafe to go to Palestine, unsafe to go to Bethlehem. This is due to the powerful Zionist lobby all over the world and you know also the media is biased all over the world against the Palestinians and this adds up to preventing tourists and pilgrims coming to Bethlehem.
Q. Can you foresee a point at which Israeli policies and the situation of Palestine will somehow or other resolve amicably or how else do we arrive at a resolution of the problems you’re describing?
We hope this conflict can be solved peacefully, resolved peacefully, because this is the only way. Palestinians do not have an army. Israel has the mightiest army in the Middle East; they are a nuclear power and the only way we can reach peace is through peaceful ways, but we have to have world support on the UN resolutions, the key words to force Israel to comply with the UN resolutions . . . if the world won’t pressure Israel to meet these resolutions then I don’t see a way to peace, the only way to peace we would have liked, the ideal solution – a one state comprising all three religions. The Israelis would not accept this; that’s why we now accept a two-state solution, but tell me, where is the Palestinian state going to be, with all these settlements dividing the Palestinian citizens among themselves and into by-roads? There is no more land to build a viable Palestinian state.
Q. What would it take to persuade Israel to make whatever concessions are appropriate – yours, too – to achieve the two-state solution?
We have given all our concessions as Palestinians. All our land has been taken by the Israelis. Whatever they are going to give in way of concessions they are giving us back part of what we owned in the historical time and this part is only 13 to 18 per cent of historical Palestine and we are ready to accept that small part of our original land, but, unfortunately, until now Israel is manipulating the whole world and playing with words and building something solid on the ground: these illegal settlements in the West Bank. And they’re still building, up and down. These settlements will be a hindrance to the future, a hindrance to peaceful solution..
Q. You obviously see the Palestinian-Israeli situation as the core of the Middle East? If it was resolved might much of the difficulties of the rest of the Middle East also be resolved? What’s your view?
The core and the centre really of this problem in the Middle East is the Palestinian-Israeli issue. If that was resolved then we would have peace in the Middle East and all over the world and I think the US and the European Union should think better; they should try to be more balanced in their policies. They should really make Israel accept all the UN resolutions. They should not use force of arms; there are other ways of forcing Israel to listen. Remember what happened to South Africa, how change was finally made there by boycotting? Boycotting Israel – this is the way. You might go for one year or so, but it is a way, a peaceful way of forcing Israel to adopt the UN resolutions.
Q. So you would turn to the UN and Europe and the Western world to follow that through ?
Yes, of course . . .
Q. Do you see a role for the Vatican and the Church generally?
A big role. Don’t forget Bethlehem for Christians all over the world is the ‘mainland’ of the faith – the cradle of Bethlehem. Bethlehem and Palestine are the cradle of Christianity so they should look after it and not abandon this land. They should use their powers, the Church’s powers, the Vatican’s powers, to try to make peace in the Holy Land. By powers, I mean moral powers – and political power.
Q. What’s your message to Australians Christians in general, Catholics in particular?
I send a message from Bethlehem that the star of Bethlehem always shines and always sends messages of peace and love to all the world. To all, I say of this small city, this cradle of Christianity, don’t abandon Bethlehem. Bethlehem is the city of all Christians all over the world – every Christian anywhere in the world is considered by us to be a citizen of this holy city. Don’t abandon your city; come over, visit the city, visit the holy Church of the Nativity, spend some time in this city. In this way you’ll stand in solidarity with the city of Bethlehem and with the citizens of Bethlehem. We need you, we need your help, we need your prayers, we need to see you among us. By coming in hundreds and thousands you will, psychological, break this wall of separation that has been built by Israel.
Q. Others would say Bethlehem is not entirely Christian; after all it’s also very important to Muslims and Jews.
We have them all living in the city of Bethlehem, OK? We have been living together as good neighbours and we will remain living together as good neighbours . . . living together in the city of Bethlehem – a model of co-existence between these religions. Palestine was a model of co-existence between the three religions before the existence of Israel, before 1948. That is what we care for. This is what we aim for – to have co-existence between all religions and all nations.
Copyright © 2007 The Catholic Weekly - Sydney
Saturday, 1 September 2007
Marrickville meets Bethlehem, controversy erupts
Marrickville meets Bethlehem, controversy erupts
Antony Loewenstein August 29th, 2007
Smearing the other
Antony Loewenstein August 31st, 2007
The lengths to which so-called respectable media will go to smear anybody who dares support the Palestinian cause continues unabated.
=============================
Bethlehem Mayor's attack stirs Jewish anger
Steve Creedy, The Australian, August 27, 2007
Response to Steve Creedy's report Bethlehem Mayor's attack stirs Jewish Anger
by Reverend Helen Cox
Response to Steve Creedy's report Bethlehem Mayor's attack stirs Jewish Anger
by Dora McPhee
Response to Steve Creedy's report Bethlehem Mayor's attack stirs Jewish Anger
by Sonja Karkar
Antony Loewenstein August 29th, 2007
Smearing the other
Antony Loewenstein August 31st, 2007
The lengths to which so-called respectable media will go to smear anybody who dares support the Palestinian cause continues unabated.
=============================
Bethlehem Mayor's attack stirs Jewish anger
Steve Creedy, The Australian, August 27, 2007
Response to Steve Creedy's report Bethlehem Mayor's attack stirs Jewish Anger
by Reverend Helen Cox
Response to Steve Creedy's report Bethlehem Mayor's attack stirs Jewish Anger
by Dora McPhee
Response to Steve Creedy's report Bethlehem Mayor's attack stirs Jewish Anger
by Sonja Karkar
Bethlehem finds a Sydney sister city
Sydney Morning Herald August 31, 2007 - 10:19PM
Marrickville, in Sydney's inner-west, is now officially the sister city of Bethlehem.
The mayor of Marrickville, Morris Hanna, and his Bethlehem counterpart Dr Victor Batarseh signed a sister city agreement at a civic reception at the Petersham council chambers.
The ceremony was the culmination of a two-day visit to Marrickville by Mr Batarseh, his wife Marcelle, fellow Bethlehem councillor Anton Salman, Father Amjad Sabbara and Issa Al Hihi, a citizen of the city.
During their visit, the delegation met with Marrickville councillors and toured the local area.
"Our sister cities program is aimed at increasing international understanding and fostering world peace by furthering international communication and exchange at the person-to-person level through city-to-city affiliations," Mr Hanna said.
Mr Hanna said the relationship with Bethlehem was an appropriate one because both cities were multicultural, while Palestinian residents had made a valuable contribution to the Marrickville area.
The cities also had language in common, he said, as Arabic has been identified as one of the top five non-English languages spoken in the Marrickville area.
Marrickville and Bethlehem councils agreed to twin the two cities in 2000 and a memorandum of understanding on the issue had been in place since then.
The political situation within the region had prevented earlier signing of the agreement.
Marrickville is already a sister city to Funchal in Portugal, Keelung in Taiwan, Kos in Greece, Larnaca in Cyprus, Safita in Syria and to 6th October City in Egypt.
It joins Milan and Assisi in Italy, Cologne in Germany, Athens in Greece, Glasgow in Scotland and many others as sister cities of Bethlehem.
© 2007 AAP
Marrickville, in Sydney's inner-west, is now officially the sister city of Bethlehem.
The mayor of Marrickville, Morris Hanna, and his Bethlehem counterpart Dr Victor Batarseh signed a sister city agreement at a civic reception at the Petersham council chambers.
The ceremony was the culmination of a two-day visit to Marrickville by Mr Batarseh, his wife Marcelle, fellow Bethlehem councillor Anton Salman, Father Amjad Sabbara and Issa Al Hihi, a citizen of the city.
During their visit, the delegation met with Marrickville councillors and toured the local area.
"Our sister cities program is aimed at increasing international understanding and fostering world peace by furthering international communication and exchange at the person-to-person level through city-to-city affiliations," Mr Hanna said.
Mr Hanna said the relationship with Bethlehem was an appropriate one because both cities were multicultural, while Palestinian residents had made a valuable contribution to the Marrickville area.
The cities also had language in common, he said, as Arabic has been identified as one of the top five non-English languages spoken in the Marrickville area.
Marrickville and Bethlehem councils agreed to twin the two cities in 2000 and a memorandum of understanding on the issue had been in place since then.
The political situation within the region had prevented earlier signing of the agreement.
Marrickville is already a sister city to Funchal in Portugal, Keelung in Taiwan, Kos in Greece, Larnaca in Cyprus, Safita in Syria and to 6th October City in Egypt.
It joins Milan and Assisi in Italy, Cologne in Germany, Athens in Greece, Glasgow in Scotland and many others as sister cities of Bethlehem.
© 2007 AAP
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
Marrickville and Bethlehem sisters to sign
Rashell Habib, Inner West Courier, Tuesday 21 August, 2007
A five-person delegation from the Palestinian city of Bethlehem is hoping to arrive in Australia this week, after overcoming reported attempts by Israeli officials in Tel Aviv to delay visa applications.
The delegation includes Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh, his wife Marcelle, Father Amjad Sabbara from the Church of the Nativity and lawyer Anton Salman.
The delegation plans to arrive in Sydney on Thursday to sign a sister city agreement with Marrickville Council.
Claims by the Jewish community that Marrickville Council could inadvertently fund the Islamic terror group Hamas through its sister city relationship with Bethlehem have been strongly rejected by the council which has voted to formalise the sister city agreement.
Speaking to the Courier from Bethlehem before his visit, Mr Batarseh said his group had been waiting for the visa application process to be approved.
"We sent out applications for the visas and we called Tel Aviv and asked about the visas and they said we just have to wait, so we wait," he said.
Mr Batarseh said he was looking forward to coming to Australia to clear any misconception sections of the media and other organisations had put forward about Bethlehem.
"After everything that has been said and written about us we are looking forward to coming and making things clear," he said. "There are all these things being said against myself and council and they are all lies.
"We are peace-seeking people and we intend to let people know our exact position, that we seek peace and justice."
Marrickville resident and member of Friends of Bethlehem Jennifer Killen said the organisation was alarmed to hear reports of alleged Israeli officials' attempts to delay the visa applications.
"It is ridiculous, Mr Batarseh has travelled around the world including America and only recently was in Glasgow to formalise a city agreement," Ms Killen said.
A five-person delegation from the Palestinian city of Bethlehem is hoping to arrive in Australia this week, after overcoming reported attempts by Israeli officials in Tel Aviv to delay visa applications.
The delegation includes Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh, his wife Marcelle, Father Amjad Sabbara from the Church of the Nativity and lawyer Anton Salman.
The delegation plans to arrive in Sydney on Thursday to sign a sister city agreement with Marrickville Council.
Claims by the Jewish community that Marrickville Council could inadvertently fund the Islamic terror group Hamas through its sister city relationship with Bethlehem have been strongly rejected by the council which has voted to formalise the sister city agreement.
Speaking to the Courier from Bethlehem before his visit, Mr Batarseh said his group had been waiting for the visa application process to be approved.
"We sent out applications for the visas and we called Tel Aviv and asked about the visas and they said we just have to wait, so we wait," he said.
Mr Batarseh said he was looking forward to coming to Australia to clear any misconception sections of the media and other organisations had put forward about Bethlehem.
"After everything that has been said and written about us we are looking forward to coming and making things clear," he said. "There are all these things being said against myself and council and they are all lies.
"We are peace-seeking people and we intend to let people know our exact position, that we seek peace and justice."
Marrickville resident and member of Friends of Bethlehem Jennifer Killen said the organisation was alarmed to hear reports of alleged Israeli officials' attempts to delay the visa applications.
"It is ridiculous, Mr Batarseh has travelled around the world including America and only recently was in Glasgow to formalise a city agreement," Ms Killen said.
Israeli court seizes land from Cremisan Monastery in Bethlehem area
Ablad Darwish, Ma'an News, Bethlehem
22 August, 2007
Father Anton Beloni from Genova in Colombia (b.1831 d. 1903), laid the foundation stone in the building of Cremisan Monastery in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. He could not know that Israeli authorities would sentence it to lifetime imprisonment in 2007. The monastery owns an area of thousands of hectares, including a convent and chapel, along with dozens of houses, belonging to local Palestinians, who used to fund themselves from the agricultural products of the fertile land.
On 10th July 2007, Israeli authorities declared military order #T-07-75, stating that 2000 dunums of land were to be confiscated. Seven days were given in which to raise any objections to the Tel Aviv authorities.
Father Anton arrived from Genova 148 years ago. He was named "Father of orphans", as he attended to, and took care of, dozens of orphans in Beit Jala.
In 1885, he arrived to live in the area, purchasing the lands of Cremisan from Sheikh Qabalan Dahdah and Father Emil Zakaria. Father Anton started to build the monastery, which included an orphanage and a school for theology and philosophy. Thousands of trees were planted by the priest during this time.
Fast-forward to 2007, and an Israeli court issues an order to confiscate 2000 dunums for the establishment of the separation wall, the route of which crosses the road to the Cremisan land from the nearby town of Beit Jala, depriving worshippers of access to the monastery.
Ghayyath Nassar, attorney for the Beit Jala municipality told me that, not only will 2,000 dunums of land be confiscated, the fate of 11 Palestinian family homes remain unknown.
"Some will be destroyed, some have the separation wall just three metres from them," he says. A kindergarten will be also enclosed on the opposite side of the wall to the monastry and West Bank land.
After a long fight through the Israeli courts, a gate will be established in the wall to allow the children to attend the nursery. The passage through the gate is due to be controlled by the Israeli army, notorious in the area for not opening other gates for access to farmland by Palestinian farmers.
The owner of one of the houses under threat, Yusra Al-Arja, stated that she built the small home six years ago, and now will face the separation wall every day. A further homeowner, Nicole Al-Alam, declared "I own a small house, which I inherited from my sisters, who built it before 1948. I tried to maintain it as best I could. I also inherited six dunums of land around the house, which I planted with olives, apricots and figs, to help as part of my family's income." She does not know if she will be able to remain, if the land and home will continue to belong to her, or if her home is to be confiscated for the construction of the separation wall.
The other families in the area are understandably also worried about the future of their homes and lands. The other houses belong to the families of Al-Araj, Az-Zumar, Zrinah and Qintar respectively.
The architect of Beit Jala municipality, Samya Zait, stated her sadness over the impending construction, stating that these families do not know the fate of their homes and lands.
............................................
Israeli forces demolish thousands of forest trees owned by Cremisan Monastery
Ma'an News, Bethlehem, 15 / 08 / 2007
22 August, 2007
Father Anton Beloni from Genova in Colombia (b.1831 d. 1903), laid the foundation stone in the building of Cremisan Monastery in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. He could not know that Israeli authorities would sentence it to lifetime imprisonment in 2007. The monastery owns an area of thousands of hectares, including a convent and chapel, along with dozens of houses, belonging to local Palestinians, who used to fund themselves from the agricultural products of the fertile land.
On 10th July 2007, Israeli authorities declared military order #T-07-75, stating that 2000 dunums of land were to be confiscated. Seven days were given in which to raise any objections to the Tel Aviv authorities.
Father Anton arrived from Genova 148 years ago. He was named "Father of orphans", as he attended to, and took care of, dozens of orphans in Beit Jala.
In 1885, he arrived to live in the area, purchasing the lands of Cremisan from Sheikh Qabalan Dahdah and Father Emil Zakaria. Father Anton started to build the monastery, which included an orphanage and a school for theology and philosophy. Thousands of trees were planted by the priest during this time.
Fast-forward to 2007, and an Israeli court issues an order to confiscate 2000 dunums for the establishment of the separation wall, the route of which crosses the road to the Cremisan land from the nearby town of Beit Jala, depriving worshippers of access to the monastery.
Ghayyath Nassar, attorney for the Beit Jala municipality told me that, not only will 2,000 dunums of land be confiscated, the fate of 11 Palestinian family homes remain unknown.
"Some will be destroyed, some have the separation wall just three metres from them," he says. A kindergarten will be also enclosed on the opposite side of the wall to the monastry and West Bank land.
After a long fight through the Israeli courts, a gate will be established in the wall to allow the children to attend the nursery. The passage through the gate is due to be controlled by the Israeli army, notorious in the area for not opening other gates for access to farmland by Palestinian farmers.
The owner of one of the houses under threat, Yusra Al-Arja, stated that she built the small home six years ago, and now will face the separation wall every day. A further homeowner, Nicole Al-Alam, declared "I own a small house, which I inherited from my sisters, who built it before 1948. I tried to maintain it as best I could. I also inherited six dunums of land around the house, which I planted with olives, apricots and figs, to help as part of my family's income." She does not know if she will be able to remain, if the land and home will continue to belong to her, or if her home is to be confiscated for the construction of the separation wall.
The other families in the area are understandably also worried about the future of their homes and lands. The other houses belong to the families of Al-Araj, Az-Zumar, Zrinah and Qintar respectively.
The architect of Beit Jala municipality, Samya Zait, stated her sadness over the impending construction, stating that these families do not know the fate of their homes and lands.
............................................
Israeli forces demolish thousands of forest trees owned by Cremisan Monastery
Ma'an News, Bethlehem, 15 / 08 / 2007
Wednesday, 15 August 2007
Israeli army bulldozes trees in a village near Bethlehem
Israeli army bulldozes trees in a village near Bethlehem
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News - August 15, 2007
Israeli army bulldozers started to bulldoze trees in a forest located near Al Walaja west of Bethlehem city in the southern part of the West Bank on Wednesday morning.
Witnesses said that the attacked forest consists of 2200 trees and belongs to Cremisan Catholic convent and winery. The Israeli army plans to build a section of the illegal Wall there.
If this section of the Wall will be completed the Bethlehem district will lose all its lands in addition Al Walaja and nearby villages will be cut off from the village and will be totally isolated because of the Wall.
....................................
Israeli forces demolish thousands of forest trees owned by Cremisan Monastery
Ma'an News, Bethlehem, 15 / 08 / 2007
The Israeli forces on Wednesday began to raze hundreds of forest trees belonging to the Cremisan monastery near Beit Jala, in the southern occupied Palestinian West Bank.
Ma'an's correspondent stated that workers have begun demolishing trees under the supervision of Israeli soldiers.
The area to be destroyed includes around 2,150 forest trees, some of which are over 200 years old.
The trees are being razed in order to erect the illegal separation wall, which is located near the border of Jerusalem.
The Cremisan Monastery was founded in 1883 on the ruins of a seventh century Byzantine monastery. It is well-known for producing Cremisan Wine from local grapes.
--------------------
Bethlehem: Rebuilding Homes in Al Walaja
ISM Report - July 16th, 2007
Starting on monday July 9th, 2007, ISM volunteers joined skilled Palestinian workers and international volunteers from EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel) and Holy Land Trust, in coordination with ICAHD (Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) in rebuilding a house in Al Walaja vilage that had been demolished by the Israeli Occupation Forces.
Al Walaja Village is now located 8 kilometers west of Bethlehem, and has 65 houses and one mosque slated for demolition, though the location of the village has changed over the years according to the whim of Israel. When the Israeli State formed in 1948 the village was moved from the Jerusalem hills (where it had been located for more than a hundred years) to a nearby location reduced from its original size by 90%. By 1967 half of the village had left, half remained.
State harassment continued; in the 1970s, Israel limited building permits for Al Walaja villagers. In 1981 Israel issued orders to annex the village into the Jerusalem municipality, to become Israeli public land, but did not provide services or rights to the people living there that were normally accorded to Jerusalem residents; villagers received orange ID cards instead of blue as a tactic to drive them away.
This has taken its toll. Villagers now must be over 40 to obtain a work permit as a laborer in Israel, unemployment is high and many people leave to the UAE to find work. Those that stay are faced with a landscape increasingly surrounded by settlements, of which Har Gilo is the closest. The Israeli government has planned to build the apartheid wall entirely around Al Walaja, so that it is surrounded, with one entrance. A village of 2000 people surrounded by a wall and illegal settlements, with little chance to work, and houses slated for demolition. It is not a pretty picture.
When volunteers from ISM joined the building of the house of Monder and Seham Salem, what struck us was their brave face of resistance in front of all this repression, but what also struck us was their story. Their house, the house they built with their own money, was first demolished in January of 2006, they were told they didn’t have a permit. After having their house demolished without any warning they were forced to live in a tent in the winter for two months. They rebuilt their house after this with money pooled from the local villagers, and tried to get a permit, but after it was built it was demolished again in December 2006 because they were told the apartheid wall was due to cross their property. Again, they were not given any warning.
==============
Feast of the Tree
Toine van Teeffelen : January 31, 2005
Now we hear that on the western side of Bethlehem, at the edge of Beit Jala, the Wall is going to arise in the Cremisan convent's fields.
The Cremisan fields are full of trees, a significant part likely being cut off to make place for the military road alongside the barrier. The theology students at the Salesian seminary there may have to continue their studies in Jerusalem as the seminary will become increasingly inaccessible, so we hear. And let us not forget the tens of thousands of other Palestinian trees annually cut down for whatever purpose, such as the expansion of settlements or the construction of bypass roads.
Together with dozens of other Bethlehem and Beit Sahouri families, Mary's uncle has for some years been unable to reach his olive trees on the other side of the Wall or the barbed wire that separates Jerusalem from Bethlehem. Consider how he lost his trees, which used to be part of traditional Bethlehem lands.
=============
Living in a Cage
ARIJ - January 17, 2004
According to the latest Israeli plan, which was published on the Internet at the Israeli Ministry of Defense Website; the village of Al-Walaja, will be totally isolated in a completely disconnected canton.
Cremisan road mentioned earlier is an alternative road which goes through the Cremisan convent (Salesian Seminary) private property was always used by Al-Walaja inhabitants as an alternative road to go to Bethlehem. The road was refurbished and asphalted recently through the help of the United States government to the Palestinian People and the project was funded by the USAID in order to provide access to the village and facilitate the movement for the villagers to reach Bethlehem.
-----------------------
Olive Branch from Jerusalem
Issue No. 159 - Saturday, 15 June 2002
The Patriarch ordained at the end of last month three priests and four deacons for the Salesian Seminary of Cremisan, the ordination took place in St Peter in Gallicantu Church.
Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News - August 15, 2007
Israeli army bulldozers started to bulldoze trees in a forest located near Al Walaja west of Bethlehem city in the southern part of the West Bank on Wednesday morning.
Witnesses said that the attacked forest consists of 2200 trees and belongs to Cremisan Catholic convent and winery. The Israeli army plans to build a section of the illegal Wall there.
If this section of the Wall will be completed the Bethlehem district will lose all its lands in addition Al Walaja and nearby villages will be cut off from the village and will be totally isolated because of the Wall.
....................................
Israeli forces demolish thousands of forest trees owned by Cremisan Monastery
Ma'an News, Bethlehem, 15 / 08 / 2007
The Israeli forces on Wednesday began to raze hundreds of forest trees belonging to the Cremisan monastery near Beit Jala, in the southern occupied Palestinian West Bank.
Ma'an's correspondent stated that workers have begun demolishing trees under the supervision of Israeli soldiers.
The area to be destroyed includes around 2,150 forest trees, some of which are over 200 years old.
The trees are being razed in order to erect the illegal separation wall, which is located near the border of Jerusalem.
The Cremisan Monastery was founded in 1883 on the ruins of a seventh century Byzantine monastery. It is well-known for producing Cremisan Wine from local grapes.
--------------------
Bethlehem: Rebuilding Homes in Al Walaja
ISM Report - July 16th, 2007
Starting on monday July 9th, 2007, ISM volunteers joined skilled Palestinian workers and international volunteers from EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel) and Holy Land Trust, in coordination with ICAHD (Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) in rebuilding a house in Al Walaja vilage that had been demolished by the Israeli Occupation Forces.
Al Walaja Village is now located 8 kilometers west of Bethlehem, and has 65 houses and one mosque slated for demolition, though the location of the village has changed over the years according to the whim of Israel. When the Israeli State formed in 1948 the village was moved from the Jerusalem hills (where it had been located for more than a hundred years) to a nearby location reduced from its original size by 90%. By 1967 half of the village had left, half remained.
State harassment continued; in the 1970s, Israel limited building permits for Al Walaja villagers. In 1981 Israel issued orders to annex the village into the Jerusalem municipality, to become Israeli public land, but did not provide services or rights to the people living there that were normally accorded to Jerusalem residents; villagers received orange ID cards instead of blue as a tactic to drive them away.
This has taken its toll. Villagers now must be over 40 to obtain a work permit as a laborer in Israel, unemployment is high and many people leave to the UAE to find work. Those that stay are faced with a landscape increasingly surrounded by settlements, of which Har Gilo is the closest. The Israeli government has planned to build the apartheid wall entirely around Al Walaja, so that it is surrounded, with one entrance. A village of 2000 people surrounded by a wall and illegal settlements, with little chance to work, and houses slated for demolition. It is not a pretty picture.
When volunteers from ISM joined the building of the house of Monder and Seham Salem, what struck us was their brave face of resistance in front of all this repression, but what also struck us was their story. Their house, the house they built with their own money, was first demolished in January of 2006, they were told they didn’t have a permit. After having their house demolished without any warning they were forced to live in a tent in the winter for two months. They rebuilt their house after this with money pooled from the local villagers, and tried to get a permit, but after it was built it was demolished again in December 2006 because they were told the apartheid wall was due to cross their property. Again, they were not given any warning.
==============
Feast of the Tree
Toine van Teeffelen : January 31, 2005
Now we hear that on the western side of Bethlehem, at the edge of Beit Jala, the Wall is going to arise in the Cremisan convent's fields.
The Cremisan fields are full of trees, a significant part likely being cut off to make place for the military road alongside the barrier. The theology students at the Salesian seminary there may have to continue their studies in Jerusalem as the seminary will become increasingly inaccessible, so we hear. And let us not forget the tens of thousands of other Palestinian trees annually cut down for whatever purpose, such as the expansion of settlements or the construction of bypass roads.
Together with dozens of other Bethlehem and Beit Sahouri families, Mary's uncle has for some years been unable to reach his olive trees on the other side of the Wall or the barbed wire that separates Jerusalem from Bethlehem. Consider how he lost his trees, which used to be part of traditional Bethlehem lands.
=============
Living in a Cage
ARIJ - January 17, 2004
According to the latest Israeli plan, which was published on the Internet at the Israeli Ministry of Defense Website; the village of Al-Walaja, will be totally isolated in a completely disconnected canton.
Cremisan road mentioned earlier is an alternative road which goes through the Cremisan convent (Salesian Seminary) private property was always used by Al-Walaja inhabitants as an alternative road to go to Bethlehem. The road was refurbished and asphalted recently through the help of the United States government to the Palestinian People and the project was funded by the USAID in order to provide access to the village and facilitate the movement for the villagers to reach Bethlehem.
-----------------------
Olive Branch from Jerusalem
Issue No. 159 - Saturday, 15 June 2002
The Patriarch ordained at the end of last month three priests and four deacons for the Salesian Seminary of Cremisan, the ordination took place in St Peter in Gallicantu Church.
Sunday, 29 July 2007
The Bethlehem Women's Soccer Team
Laura Conti, The Alternative Information Center (AIC), 18 July 2007
The national female team, which was founded about two years ago with the participation of girls from Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho and Gaza, is indeed the only team that has to practice in four different places due to the limited mobility afforded by the Wall and Israeli occupation. In fact, the team only have the ability to work together during their matches abroad.
When we go to Jordan for tournaments,” said Samar Araj, the athletic director of the team, “we need all the day. First we pass through Wadi’nar, from the Palestinian frontier, then from the Israeli controls, where they stop us for hours, questioning the girls and the coach, and checking if anybody is involved in politics. After that we pass to the Jordan side where they question us again. This is our problem,” remarks Honey, “We can’t meet or practice together.”
Thursday, 21 June 2007
Interview with the Mayor of Bethlehem
October 24, 2005: AUDIO
The Mayor of Bethlehem, Victor Batarseh, joins host Jeffrey Callison in studio today to talk about life in Bethlehem and the West Bank, and Middle East politics.
-----------------
O, little town
Nicholas Blincoe
Bethlehem began life as a walled citadel, and will end as a prison town. Beside it looms Israeli Jerusalem, which has redrawn its boundaries constantly since the occupation. As far as Israel is concerned, Jerusalem's borders now encompass all the settlements surrounding the city of Bethlehem.
As an ex-deputy Mayor of Jerusalem has said, the expansion was planned according to Talmudic law which states that a city is defined by sightlines: if a collection of buildings can be seen from another point, then each constitutes a part of the same city. By grabbing the orchards of Bethlehem, Jerusalem has doubled and trebled in size over the past two decades, like a concrete amoeba, whose pseudopodia absorb and digest everything they encircle.
The Mayor of Bethlehem, Victor Batarseh, joins host Jeffrey Callison in studio today to talk about life in Bethlehem and the West Bank, and Middle East politics.
-----------------
O, little town
Nicholas Blincoe
Bethlehem began life as a walled citadel, and will end as a prison town. Beside it looms Israeli Jerusalem, which has redrawn its boundaries constantly since the occupation. As far as Israel is concerned, Jerusalem's borders now encompass all the settlements surrounding the city of Bethlehem.
As an ex-deputy Mayor of Jerusalem has said, the expansion was planned according to Talmudic law which states that a city is defined by sightlines: if a collection of buildings can be seen from another point, then each constitutes a part of the same city. By grabbing the orchards of Bethlehem, Jerusalem has doubled and trebled in size over the past two decades, like a concrete amoeba, whose pseudopodia absorb and digest everything they encircle.
Wednesday, 13 June 2007
Council's Bethlehem link angers NSW Jewish Board of Deputies
June 13, 2007
A Sydney council's decision to form a sister city relationship with Bethlehem has outraged members of the Jewish community.
They say the move is akin to supporting terrorism.
Marrickville Council, in Sydney's inner west, has had an in-principle agreement since 2001 with the Palestinian city believed by some Christian scholars to have been the birthplace of Jesus Christ, although others say it was not.
The agreement is due to be formally ratified at a council meeting next Tuesday.
Councillor Sam Iskandar said the city had been chosen as a symbol of love, peace and harmony, but the Jewish community say it is anything but.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Vic Alhadeff said Bethlehem Council was controlled by members of the terrorist organisations Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which support the killing of Jews.
A delegation from Bethlehem Council is due to visit Sydney in late August to sign the agreement and hold discussions with Marrickville Council.
Mr Alhadeff said this could give a platform for Hamas members to spread anti-Jewish propaganda.
"A Bethlehem delegation could include Hamas members," he said.
"This means an international guest could address a public meeting hosted by this council and call for the destruction of Israel and death to the Jews."
Mr Alhadeff is also concerned that funds provided by Marrickville Council could end up in Hamas coffers, supporting terrorist activity.
He said the council should choose a politically neutral middle-eastern city to foster relations with.
"If councils like Marrickville wanted to get involved and promote peace and reconciliation why not choose an Arab Israeli town, so it's not a partisan position?" Mr Alhadeff said.
But Mr Iskandar, who chairs the council's community services committee, said the proposal for Bethlehem to be a sister city had come from residents and had been unanimously passed.
"It was chosen because it was the city which symbolised love and peace and harmony," he said.
"We look at this relationship between Marrickville and Bethlehem to be a very good relationship between the two communities, and we want to send a message that people can work with people and they can have good relations ... and that is the spirit of the sister city movement."
Mr Iskandar denied the council would provide any funds to Bethlehem Council as part of the arrangement.
"It's very cheap propaganda to say this, because the council will not give money to other councils," he said.
"The relationship is not really about supporting Hamas or Islamic Jihad - we are not about politics."
Mr Iskandar said the council would be open to developing a sister city relationship with an Israeli city, if that was what the Marrickville community wanted.
He said the council hoped the relationship with Bethlehem would in some small way aid the peace process in the region.
"We would like, if we can with our very humble contribution, to help the peace coming back to the Middle East and in particular to that city," he said.
© 2007 AAP
A Sydney council's decision to form a sister city relationship with Bethlehem has outraged members of the Jewish community.
They say the move is akin to supporting terrorism.
Marrickville Council, in Sydney's inner west, has had an in-principle agreement since 2001 with the Palestinian city believed by some Christian scholars to have been the birthplace of Jesus Christ, although others say it was not.
The agreement is due to be formally ratified at a council meeting next Tuesday.
Councillor Sam Iskandar said the city had been chosen as a symbol of love, peace and harmony, but the Jewish community say it is anything but.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Vic Alhadeff said Bethlehem Council was controlled by members of the terrorist organisations Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which support the killing of Jews.
A delegation from Bethlehem Council is due to visit Sydney in late August to sign the agreement and hold discussions with Marrickville Council.
Mr Alhadeff said this could give a platform for Hamas members to spread anti-Jewish propaganda.
"A Bethlehem delegation could include Hamas members," he said.
"This means an international guest could address a public meeting hosted by this council and call for the destruction of Israel and death to the Jews."
Mr Alhadeff is also concerned that funds provided by Marrickville Council could end up in Hamas coffers, supporting terrorist activity.
He said the council should choose a politically neutral middle-eastern city to foster relations with.
"If councils like Marrickville wanted to get involved and promote peace and reconciliation why not choose an Arab Israeli town, so it's not a partisan position?" Mr Alhadeff said.
But Mr Iskandar, who chairs the council's community services committee, said the proposal for Bethlehem to be a sister city had come from residents and had been unanimously passed.
"It was chosen because it was the city which symbolised love and peace and harmony," he said.
"We look at this relationship between Marrickville and Bethlehem to be a very good relationship between the two communities, and we want to send a message that people can work with people and they can have good relations ... and that is the spirit of the sister city movement."
Mr Iskandar denied the council would provide any funds to Bethlehem Council as part of the arrangement.
"It's very cheap propaganda to say this, because the council will not give money to other councils," he said.
"The relationship is not really about supporting Hamas or Islamic Jihad - we are not about politics."
Mr Iskandar said the council would be open to developing a sister city relationship with an Israeli city, if that was what the Marrickville community wanted.
He said the council hoped the relationship with Bethlehem would in some small way aid the peace process in the region.
"We would like, if we can with our very humble contribution, to help the peace coming back to the Middle East and in particular to that city," he said.
© 2007 AAP
Sunday, 20 May 2007
Family’s trees uprooted in Artas, Palestinian Information Minister attacked by Israeli soldiers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
20 May 2007
On Sunday morning, May 20, Israeli Occupation Forces destroyed an apricot and date orchard comprised of 28 trees in the village of Artas near Bethlehem. Four Israeli activists were arrested.
At 5:30 AM, approximately 40 soldiers came and forcibly removed approximately 60 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists who had been maintaining a presence on the land since Wednesday, May 16. Soldiers hit and kicked activists who had chained themselves to trees, and forcibly threw others over a stone wall, including elderly Palestinian women. After the activists had been removed, the bulldozer entered the land and the army uprooted the trees and ripped apart the land.
Israel’s apartheid wall is being built through the village of Artas to allow for the expansion of the Efrat settlement and is confiscating approximately 4000 dunums of land. Two new settlement neighborhoods, Tamar and Dagan are being built on the land and will be attached to Efrat. This expansion is illegal under international law and the so-called “Road Map to Peace.” Sewage from Efrat will be piped out through this former orchard.
Later, at 1:30 pm, Palestinian Information Minister Dr. Mustafa Barghouti arrived at the demolition site in Artas. There, he held a press conference, highlighting speakers from the village and their recent trauma. Shortly after the media left, according to Mohammad Abu Swai, about 50 Israeli soldiers entered the site and started to brutalize the crowd. Dr. Barghouti was hit with a soldier’s club from behind.
Abu Swai explained, “The soldiers are acting like animals! They are hiiting anyone in their path, including the Minister!”
Soldiers are still currently stationed in the village. Palestinians were planning to replant their uprooted trees, including an additional 30 trees that were just purchased.
Like most settlements, Efrat was started illegally as an outpost but was later approved by the Israeli supreme court.
The orchard belonged to the Abu Swai family.
Video footage of demolition available upon request.
For more information:
Arabic: Awad Swai 0598305810
English: Jesus Martinez 0599943157
Hebrew/English/Arabic: Adar 0525444866
=============================
The Israeli army attack farmers and peace activists near Bethlehem
Sunday May 20, 2007
Ghassan Bannoura, IMEMC
A massive Israeli army force attacked and beaten up a group of Palestinian farmers and peace activists in Artas village located to the south east of Bethlehem city in the southern West Bank on Sunday afternoon.
A group of Palestinian activists from stop bleeding of Bethlehem campaign and local farmers from the village of Artass joined by the Palestinian minister of information Dr. Mustafa Al Barghouthi started to plant trees in a land that is owned by local farmers, which the army demolished trees in on Sunday morning to make way for a sewage pip e for a nearby Israeli settlement.
IMEMC corresponded on location reported that while the group planting trees the Israeli soldiers attacked them using rifle buts and batons, several people were heavily beaten among them Dr. Barghouthi.
On Wednesday morning, at least 30 Palestinian, International and Israeli peace activists and farmers attempted to prevent the Israeli army from bulldozing land near the village of Artas, the protestors arrived at the site after receiving news that bulldozers were approaching the village.
The Israeli army is bulldozing the land near the Monastery in order to build the wall in the area. Troops prevented the peace activists from reaching the bulldozers and claimed the area as a closed military zone. When asked, troops failed to provide any evidence proving that the construction site was a closed military zone.
On Thursday, the popular committee activists set up tents on the site and decided to stay overnight to guard the area from further bulldozing attempts. On Saturday late night soldiers arrived to the tents location and took photos, after several hours, on Sunday early in the morning the soldiers came with bulldozers, forced farmers and their supporters out then demolished the tents and that trees.
IMEMC correspondent stated that the army is still attacking any one who tries to plant trees or to protect the old trees from being illegal demolished against all laws known to human kind.
20 May 2007
On Sunday morning, May 20, Israeli Occupation Forces destroyed an apricot and date orchard comprised of 28 trees in the village of Artas near Bethlehem. Four Israeli activists were arrested.
At 5:30 AM, approximately 40 soldiers came and forcibly removed approximately 60 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists who had been maintaining a presence on the land since Wednesday, May 16. Soldiers hit and kicked activists who had chained themselves to trees, and forcibly threw others over a stone wall, including elderly Palestinian women. After the activists had been removed, the bulldozer entered the land and the army uprooted the trees and ripped apart the land.
Israel’s apartheid wall is being built through the village of Artas to allow for the expansion of the Efrat settlement and is confiscating approximately 4000 dunums of land. Two new settlement neighborhoods, Tamar and Dagan are being built on the land and will be attached to Efrat. This expansion is illegal under international law and the so-called “Road Map to Peace.” Sewage from Efrat will be piped out through this former orchard.
Later, at 1:30 pm, Palestinian Information Minister Dr. Mustafa Barghouti arrived at the demolition site in Artas. There, he held a press conference, highlighting speakers from the village and their recent trauma. Shortly after the media left, according to Mohammad Abu Swai, about 50 Israeli soldiers entered the site and started to brutalize the crowd. Dr. Barghouti was hit with a soldier’s club from behind.
Abu Swai explained, “The soldiers are acting like animals! They are hiiting anyone in their path, including the Minister!”
Soldiers are still currently stationed in the village. Palestinians were planning to replant their uprooted trees, including an additional 30 trees that were just purchased.
Like most settlements, Efrat was started illegally as an outpost but was later approved by the Israeli supreme court.
The orchard belonged to the Abu Swai family.
Video footage of demolition available upon request.
For more information:
Arabic: Awad Swai 0598305810
English: Jesus Martinez 0599943157
Hebrew/English/Arabic: Adar 0525444866
=============================
The Israeli army attack farmers and peace activists near Bethlehem
Sunday May 20, 2007
Ghassan Bannoura, IMEMC
A massive Israeli army force attacked and beaten up a group of Palestinian farmers and peace activists in Artas village located to the south east of Bethlehem city in the southern West Bank on Sunday afternoon.
A group of Palestinian activists from stop bleeding of Bethlehem campaign and local farmers from the village of Artass joined by the Palestinian minister of information Dr. Mustafa Al Barghouthi started to plant trees in a land that is owned by local farmers, which the army demolished trees in on Sunday morning to make way for a sewage pip e for a nearby Israeli settlement.
IMEMC corresponded on location reported that while the group planting trees the Israeli soldiers attacked them using rifle buts and batons, several people were heavily beaten among them Dr. Barghouthi.
On Wednesday morning, at least 30 Palestinian, International and Israeli peace activists and farmers attempted to prevent the Israeli army from bulldozing land near the village of Artas, the protestors arrived at the site after receiving news that bulldozers were approaching the village.
The Israeli army is bulldozing the land near the Monastery in order to build the wall in the area. Troops prevented the peace activists from reaching the bulldozers and claimed the area as a closed military zone. When asked, troops failed to provide any evidence proving that the construction site was a closed military zone.
On Thursday, the popular committee activists set up tents on the site and decided to stay overnight to guard the area from further bulldozing attempts. On Saturday late night soldiers arrived to the tents location and took photos, after several hours, on Sunday early in the morning the soldiers came with bulldozers, forced farmers and their supporters out then demolished the tents and that trees.
IMEMC correspondent stated that the army is still attacking any one who tries to plant trees or to protect the old trees from being illegal demolished against all laws known to human kind.
Artas Orchard destroyed to make way for settlement sewage
May 20th, 2007
On Sunday morning May 20, Israeli Occupation Forces destroyed an apricot and date orchard comprising of 28 trees in the village of Artas near Bethlehem. Four Israeli peace activists were arrested. Video footage is available.
At 5:30 AM, approximately 40 soldiers came and forcibly removed approximately 60 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists who had been maintaining a presence on the land since Wednesday, May 16. Soldiers hit and kicked activists who had chained themselves to trees, including elderly Palestinian women. After the activists had been removed, the army uprooted the trees and bulldozed the land.
The apartheid wall is being built through the village of Artas to allow for the expansion of the Efrata settlement and is confiscating approximately 4000 dunums of land. Two new settlement neighborhoods, Tamar and Dagan are being built on the land and will be attached to Efrata. This expansion goes against international law and the Roadmap for Peace. Sewage from Efrata will be piped out through this former orchard.
Like most settlements, Efrata was started illegally but was later approved by the Israeli supreme court.
The orchard belonged to the Abu Swai family.
For more information:
Arabic: Awad Swai 0598305810
English: Jesus Martinez 0599943157
Hebrew/English/Arabic: Adar 0525444866
===============================
Part 1
Part 2
On Sunday morning May 20, Israeli Occupation Forces destroyed an apricot and date orchard comprising of 28 trees in the village of Artas near Bethlehem. Four Israeli peace activists were arrested. Video footage is available.
At 5:30 AM, approximately 40 soldiers came and forcibly removed approximately 60 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists who had been maintaining a presence on the land since Wednesday, May 16. Soldiers hit and kicked activists who had chained themselves to trees, including elderly Palestinian women. After the activists had been removed, the army uprooted the trees and bulldozed the land.
The apartheid wall is being built through the village of Artas to allow for the expansion of the Efrata settlement and is confiscating approximately 4000 dunums of land. Two new settlement neighborhoods, Tamar and Dagan are being built on the land and will be attached to Efrata. This expansion goes against international law and the Roadmap for Peace. Sewage from Efrata will be piped out through this former orchard.
Like most settlements, Efrata was started illegally but was later approved by the Israeli supreme court.
The orchard belonged to the Abu Swai family.
For more information:
Arabic: Awad Swai 0598305810
English: Jesus Martinez 0599943157
Hebrew/English/Arabic: Adar 0525444866
===============================
Part 1
Part 2
Thursday, 17 May 2007
A number of nonviolent protestors stop Israeli bulldozers in Artas village near Bethlehem
Mohammad Abu Swai, who holds the deeds to this land, explains the situation in Artas village:
The Israeli army has already started to demolish some of the trees in the village of Artas to make way for a sewer system, leading from the Illegal Israeli Settlement of Efrat.
On May 15, 2007, Mohammad Abu Swai, the owner of the trees, was interviewed. Israeli and international solidarity activists were present on the land to prevent the demolition of the trees. The army, however, postponed the demolition, until the following day or possibly Sunday... We shall soon find out...
--------------------
A number of nonviolent protestors stop Israeli bulldozers in Artas village near Bethlehem
George Rishmawi - IMEMC News, Wednesday May 16, 2007
At least 30 Palestinian, International and Israeli peace activists and farmers are preventing the Israeli army from bulldozing land near the village of Artas south of Bethlehem on Wednesday morning.
At least 30 Palestinian, International and Israeli peace activists and farmers are preventing the Israeli army from bulldozing land near the village of Artas south of Bethlehem on Wednesday morning.
The Protestors arrived to the site after they received news about the bulldozers near the village.Israeli army is bulldozing the land near the Monastery in order to build the wall in that area.
Troops prevented the peace activists from reaching the bulldozers, and claimed the area as a closed military zone.
Hussam Jubran, one of the coordinators of the "Stop the Bleeding of Bethlehem" campaign told IMEMC that the soldiers did failed to provide any document proving that the construction area is a closed military zone.
The "Stop the Bleeding of Bethlehem" campaign aims at mobilizing more Palestinians to nonviolently resist the wall, settlements, land confiscation and other forms of the Israeli military occupation in Bethlehem.
On Tuesday, the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Bethlehem organized a peaceful protest on a settler road to commemorate the 59 anniversary of the Nakba of 1948.
-------------------------------
Martinez, ISM, 16 May 2007
Artas is a beautiful village, as are her apricot trees and her people. As Israeli bulldozers ripped away the hilltop in the distance to make way for military roads, settler roads, and a place for the militarily-funded Bedouin security personnel to sleep at night and guard the construction site, farmers from Artas whipped up some delicious tea and thanked us all for coming to resist the demolition of their fields.
But the rain came and pushed all the soldiers away. Villagers from Artas believe they will be back in the morning.
Update to come.
We’ll be back there too.
------------------------
Please don’t sh*t on the apricots
Yifat Appelbaum, May 17th, 2007
Today I feel frustrated. I sat in a cute little apricot orchard in a village near Beit Lahem as the army watched us through binoculars from the hill, a menacing bulldozer in the background. They’re going to ‘doze this orchard to make way for sewage pipes from the Efrata settlement. New sections of Efrata are being built on the hill above the orchard.
I was imagining all the problems that are going to happen once the settlers move in; villagers will need special permits to access their land. These permits will be difficult to obtain. Even if they do get permits, they will still be subject to the whims of the army who can either let them work the land or not, depending on their mood or the mood of the settlers controlling them. It will become like a hell, like so much of the west bank is already becoming. This has happened hundreds of times already.
--------------------------
More footage from Artas village, May 16, 2007
Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals are trying to prevent the Israeli Occupation Force from uprooting the trees of local farmers.
Part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9TjrvhHR20
Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9r9ylTGi-0
Part 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM1zNBn7Jbc
*************************************
17 May, 2006
The Segregation Wall threatens the lands of Artas Village, Southwest Bethlehem City
2 September,1999
Sacrilege in the Bethlehem District Villages of Artas and El Walajeh
The Israeli army has already started to demolish some of the trees in the village of Artas to make way for a sewer system, leading from the Illegal Israeli Settlement of Efrat.
On May 15, 2007, Mohammad Abu Swai, the owner of the trees, was interviewed. Israeli and international solidarity activists were present on the land to prevent the demolition of the trees. The army, however, postponed the demolition, until the following day or possibly Sunday... We shall soon find out...
--------------------
A number of nonviolent protestors stop Israeli bulldozers in Artas village near Bethlehem
George Rishmawi - IMEMC News, Wednesday May 16, 2007
At least 30 Palestinian, International and Israeli peace activists and farmers are preventing the Israeli army from bulldozing land near the village of Artas south of Bethlehem on Wednesday morning.
At least 30 Palestinian, International and Israeli peace activists and farmers are preventing the Israeli army from bulldozing land near the village of Artas south of Bethlehem on Wednesday morning.
The Protestors arrived to the site after they received news about the bulldozers near the village.Israeli army is bulldozing the land near the Monastery in order to build the wall in that area.
Troops prevented the peace activists from reaching the bulldozers, and claimed the area as a closed military zone.
Hussam Jubran, one of the coordinators of the "Stop the Bleeding of Bethlehem" campaign told IMEMC that the soldiers did failed to provide any document proving that the construction area is a closed military zone.
The "Stop the Bleeding of Bethlehem" campaign aims at mobilizing more Palestinians to nonviolently resist the wall, settlements, land confiscation and other forms of the Israeli military occupation in Bethlehem.
On Tuesday, the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Bethlehem organized a peaceful protest on a settler road to commemorate the 59 anniversary of the Nakba of 1948.
-------------------------------
Martinez, ISM, 16 May 2007
Artas is a beautiful village, as are her apricot trees and her people. As Israeli bulldozers ripped away the hilltop in the distance to make way for military roads, settler roads, and a place for the militarily-funded Bedouin security personnel to sleep at night and guard the construction site, farmers from Artas whipped up some delicious tea and thanked us all for coming to resist the demolition of their fields.
But the rain came and pushed all the soldiers away. Villagers from Artas believe they will be back in the morning.
Update to come.
We’ll be back there too.
------------------------
Please don’t sh*t on the apricots
Yifat Appelbaum, May 17th, 2007
Today I feel frustrated. I sat in a cute little apricot orchard in a village near Beit Lahem as the army watched us through binoculars from the hill, a menacing bulldozer in the background. They’re going to ‘doze this orchard to make way for sewage pipes from the Efrata settlement. New sections of Efrata are being built on the hill above the orchard.
I was imagining all the problems that are going to happen once the settlers move in; villagers will need special permits to access their land. These permits will be difficult to obtain. Even if they do get permits, they will still be subject to the whims of the army who can either let them work the land or not, depending on their mood or the mood of the settlers controlling them. It will become like a hell, like so much of the west bank is already becoming. This has happened hundreds of times already.
--------------------------
More footage from Artas village, May 16, 2007
Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals are trying to prevent the Israeli Occupation Force from uprooting the trees of local farmers.
Part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9TjrvhHR20
Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9r9ylTGi-0
Part 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM1zNBn7Jbc
*************************************
17 May, 2006
The Segregation Wall threatens the lands of Artas Village, Southwest Bethlehem City
2 September,1999
Sacrilege in the Bethlehem District Villages of Artas and El Walajeh
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