The Troubled Town Of Bethlehem

“And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” By the time Jesus was born to Mary in the town of Bethlehem, all of Israel and Syria chafed under Roman occupation.

2000 years ago, oppressive and devious rulers harassed the people of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. Joseph and Mary, in the last month of her pregnancy, had to take the arduous walk from Nazareth to Bethlehem on orders of their Roman overlords. One would assume that journeying to Bethlehem would be much easier today, 2000 years later. Regrettably, however, it is no less arduous and even more dangerous.

Larry Fata, an American working for the World Council of Churches told the story of two Palestinians who wanted to find out what it would be like for Mary and Joseph to enter the town of Jesus’ birth, two days before Christmas 2003. They dressed as Mary and Joseph but, even though Mary was riding atop a donkey, her jeans and stylish boots protruded under her traditional dress. Fata, who went along, reports that as they approached the Israeli checkpoint near Bethlehem, “the idyllic Christmas-card scene was broken by soldiers asking ‘Mary and Joseph’ for IDs, by another soldier training a machine gun on us, and a third filming the whole proceeding, possibly for security purposes.”

Soon, however, the Israeli soldiers recognized that the two Palestinians were trying to re-enact Mary and Joseph. Then the guards found out that Mary had an Israeli passport and could therefore not enter the West Bank town of Bethlehem without official permission, while Joseph, although he held an identification card for West Bank residents, could not legally enter Bethlehem from his particular village in the West Bank.

Such are nowadays the occupiers’ rules in the homeland of Jesus that Israeli citizens may not be allowed into West Bank territory while the Palestinians may not even move freely in their own territory. Under the regulations in 2003, moreover, Mary and Joseph could neither live together nor get married.

Although Mary was from Bethlehem, she would not be allowed to live there with a West Bank Palestinian because administratively Bethlehem is part of Jerusalem which most West Bank Palestinians were not allowed to enter. If Mary had received permission to give up her status as a resident of Jerusalem and live on the West Bank, she would not only have suffered severe economic hardships but also be barred from entering Israel, or reentering Jerusalem.

As Christmas 2005 approaches in the 38th year of the Israeli occupation, visitors to Bethlehem have to enter the city through the so-called “terminal” on the north side. What the Israeli government calls terminals are the four openings in the 25-foot high “separation wall” along the border between Israel and the West Bank, being erected mostly on Palestinian land.

Crossing through the terminal begins with five electronically rotating gates, resembling cattle chutes, then visitors pass through two x-ray machines and a passport check by occupation officials. This procedure may take an hour, or much longer on busy days, such as Christmas when thousands of pilgrims come to pray at the site of Jesus’ birth. The traditional route to the Basilica of the Nativity is now closed.

After Jesus was born, King Herod wanted to do away with him and therefore ordered all baby boys two years old or under to be killed, “in Bethlehem, and in all that region.” There was bloodshed in Jesus’ homeland then; and there is bloodshed now. The occupiers kill Palestinian resisters and innocent bystanders alike. And Palestinian desperadoes retaliate with suicide bombings killing mostly innocents.

And we American taxpayers help finance this madness and do nothing of consequence to end this war of attrition in what we like to call the Holy Land. At the least, we should remind ourselves of our responsibility for the outrageous conditions in the Holy Land as we sing of Bethlehem on Christmas Day:

Wolf D. Fuhrig	Home	12-18-05
The Troubled Town Of Bethlehem
“And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” By the time Jesus was born to Mary in the town of Bethlehem, all of Israel and Syria chafed under Roman occupation. 2000 years ago, oppressive and devious rulers harassed the people of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. Joseph and Mary, in the last month of her pregnancy, had to take the arduous walk from Nazareth to Bethlehem on orders of their Roman overlords. One would assume that journeying to Bethlehem would be much easier today, 2000 years later. Regrettably, however, it is no less arduous and even more dangerous. Larry Fata, an American working for the World Council of Churches told the story of two Palestinians who wanted to find out what it would be like for Mary and Joseph to enter the town of Jesus’ birth, two days before Christmas 2003. They dressed as Mary and Joseph but, even though Mary was riding atop a donkey, her jeans and stylish boots protruded under her traditional dress. Fata, who went along, reports that as they approached the Israeli checkpoint near Bethlehem, “the idyllic Christmas-card scene was broken by soldiers asking ‘Mary and Joseph’ for IDs, by another soldier training a machine gun on us, and a third filming the whole proceeding, possibly for security purposes.” Soon, however, the Israeli soldiers recognized that the two Palestinians were trying to re-enact Mary and Joseph. Then the guards found out that Mary had an Israeli passport and could therefore not enter the West Bank town of Bethlehem without official permission, while Joseph, although he held an identification card for West Bank residents, could not legally enter Bethlehem from his particular village in the West Bank. Such are nowadays the occupiers’ rules in the homeland of Jesus that Israeli citizens may not be allowed into West Bank territory while the Palestinians may not even move freely in their own territory. Under the regulations in 2003, moreover, Mary and Joseph could neither live together nor get married. Although Mary was from Bethlehem, she would not be allowed to live there with a West Bank Palestinian because administratively Bethlehem is part of Jerusalem which most West Bank Palestinians were not allowed to enter. If Mary had received permission to give up her status as a resident of Jerusalem and live on the West Bank, she would not only have suffered severe economic hardships but also be barred from entering Israel, or reentering Jerusalem. As Christmas 2005 approaches in the 38th year of the Israeli occupation, visitors to Bethlehem have to enter the city through the so-called “terminal” on the north side. What the Israeli government calls terminals are the four openings in the 25-foot high “separation wall” along the border between Israel and the West Bank, being erected mostly on Palestinian land. Crossing through the terminal begins with five electronically rotating gates, resembling cattle chutes, then visitors pass through two x-ray machines and a passport check by occupation officials. This procedure may take an hour, or much longer on busy days, such as Christmas when thousands of pilgrims come to pray at the site of Jesus’ birth. The traditional route to the Basilica of the Nativity is now closed. After Jesus was born, King Herod wanted to do away with him and therefore ordered all baby boys two years old or under to be killed, “in Bethlehem, and in all that region.” There was bloodshed in Jesus’ homeland then; and there is bloodshed now. The occupiers kill Palestinian resisters and innocent bystanders alike. And Palestinian desperadoes retaliate with suicide bombings killing mostly innocents. And we American taxpayers help finance this madness and do nothing of consequence to end this war of attrition in what we like to call the Holy Land. At the least, we should remind ourselves of our responsibility for the outrageous conditions in the Holy Land as we sing of Bethlehem on Christmas Day:
“ O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

Wolf D. Fuhrig

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12-18-05

The Troubled Town Of Bethlehem