The Plight of Bethlehem("Why Christians can't visit the holy shrines in Jerusalem.")

wsj.com ^ | December 24, 2007 | KENNETH L. WOODWARD

[kellynla]

A mere nine kilometers separates Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, from Jerusalem, where he was crucified, died and was buried. Pilgrims can easily visit both the Church of the Nativity and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in half a day--as long as they are not Palestinian Christians. Israel's security wall, its restrictive exit permit system, roadblocks and military checkpoints now make it impossible for most Holy Land Christians to visit the shrines that, for all Christians, make the Holy Land holy. Like East Jerusalem, Bethlehem is part of the West Bank, not the State of Israel. Temporary exit visas to go from one to the other to worship--or see a doctor or even visit relatives--are hard to come by, of brief duration even when granted, and always subject to the whims of Israeli soldiers.

The squeeze is economic as well as religious. Few producers in Bethlehem can get their goods to markets in Jerusalem. Fewer buyers can get to Bethlehem to sustain its markets. Tourism, a huge segment of the city's economy, is up since 2004, but it is still far from robust.

When last I was in Bethlehem, in 2000, an average of more than 91,000 tourists visited the city monthly. This year, the average is half that number. When buses do arrive, tourists are routinely whisked in and out without time to shop. As a consequence, nearly 100 hotels and restaurants have closed since my last visit. More than 250 workshops that made olive wood crèches, mother-of-pearl crosses and other religious souvenirs have disappeared too. And so, of course, have many of the stores that sold them. In sum, where Bethlehem once enjoyed one of the lowest urban unemployment rates in the Holy Land, it now has one of the highest--by some estimates as much as 60%.

[bubbacluck]

I may be wrong, but I seem to remember that the main thrust of the Crusades was to allow Christians to be able to make pilgrimages to the Holy Land safely.

[massgopguy]

No, it was to repel 300 years of Jihad that had invaded Spain and encroached on Vienna.

[rmlew]

Interesting how the author ignores life prior ot 1986 (ie before the intefedah) and prior to the 1994 handover to today.

This isn't even a good opinion piece. It is a smear with afalce veneer of evenhandedness. This crap does not beolg in the Wall Street Journal.

[raynearhood]

Agreed.

My reaction to the first paragraph of this article was “Blah, Blah, Blah. Waa, Waa, Waa!”

The second paragraph on got a different reaction. “Zzzzz....”

[Captain Rhino]

Given recent reports about the vanishing of Arab Christians from areas under Palestinian control, this problem (Palestinian Christians not being able to cross between Bethlehem and Jerusalem) affects say ... six persons, maybe a dozen, tops.

[Hildy]

I was in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve in 1977....it was NOT a pleasant experience..in fact, it was one of the worst of my life.

[Guyin4Os]

Of course the article does not mention the fact that the Islamicists STILL will not allow Jews on the temple mount.

[Recon Dad]

I was in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve in 1977....it was NOT a pleasant experience..in fact, it was one of the worst of my life.

I was there two years ago and it is still scary. What the author fails to mention is prior to the wall everyday Jews were being shoot and bombed by those who lived a block away. The Arabs did it to themselves the Israeli’s had no choice.

[TheBattman]

They can thank their muslim terrorist “brothers” for the restrictions.

[wizr]

Me, I’ll never be able to visit the Holy Land. We have created scenes of Jesus’ life for a drive through at our church, but I really don’t need monuments to know that Jesus WAS. Jesus IS here in my heart.

Though I feel for those whose lives are disrupted by this hatred and anguish, visiting “holy” sites does not make us any more holy.

My humble opinion, only. Merry CHRISTmas.

[KyHammer]

Evidently, the author just fell off of the turnip truck.

[Kevmo]

bmflr

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[Cinnamon Girl]

Doesn't someone try to peddle this trash about Bethlehem being crushed and oppressed by Israel around this time every year? According to the PA, the population of Bethlehem continues to grow. So what population are they talking about, would you think? Hmmm..... the arab muslim population, perhaps? Everywhere the PA dominates, there is poverty, violence, sewage.

Mr. Woodward complains that Christians can't visit their holy sites. Has he been to any Jewish holy sites anywhere in Israel? Any place that isn't surrounded by cement and guarded by the IDF has been desecrated, burned, and used as a toilet (one of the arabs favorite activities for non-muslim holy sites.)

Remember the standoff in the church of the nativity? That wasn't the IDF that pooped in your holy building, Mr. Woodward.

It's always easiest to blame the most civilized people for any wrongdoings because they are the only ones willing to listen. Try to be honest with yourself, Mr. Woodward, about the real cause of Christian oppression in Bethlehem.

[MplsSteve]

You’re right. Jesus is in our hearts.

But I suspect that a lot of people want to visit to take in the history and don’t go so much to be holier or more blessed.

For me, I can’t think of anything more overpowering and striking than to walk the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem and think “I am walking the same route Jesus took on the way to his crucifixation”.

[GladesGuru]

Christians can’t visit the holy shrines in Jerusalem because neither they not the ‘Oven Jews” in office in Israel have the backbone to realize about the Muslims what Rome eventually realized about Carthage.

Islam Delenda Est! It’s an idea whose time has come.

[muawiyah]

The Seljuk Turks were moving into the Levant quite aggressively and had cut off Jerusalem from pilgrimages by Christians and non-Turkish speaking Moslems.

This resulted in a dramatic loss of revenues in Egypt whose government depended extensively on taxes paid for products supplied to pilgrims from North Africa and Europe.

Some sources portray the Egyptian Bey as having been subordinate to the Seljuks and others picture him as having been left hanging as the Seljuks conquered the more central parts of the Islamic Caliphate leaving him and North African Moslem kingdoms hanging.

Whatever the case, he's the guy who asked French knights for help.

The Pope authorized the First Crusade and next thing you know Jerusalem and other holy sites were once again available to pilgrims (tourists), and the coffers of the Egyptian government began to fill with tax revenues.

What's not to like about that.

[muawiyah]

I know Jews who visited Temple Mount, albeit as American tourists.

[17th Miss Regt]

Allow me to condense this: Those dastardly JOOOOOS!

[Convert from ECUSA]

Right on, Cinnamon Girl!