West Bank Christians can’t avoid mixing politics with Christmas
On the surface, Christmas preparations are back with a vengeance in the Bethlehem area after two bleak pandemic years. In Beit Sahour, a small town that borders Bethlehem, where Christians believe the angels announced the birth of Jesus, Christmas bling adorns almost every business. Tour groups file in and out of the grounds of the […]
Israel criticized for refusing Gaza Christians visas to Bethlehem – REPORT
Arab media is reporting that the Israeli government denied entry visas to about 260 Christians from Gaza to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem. The report, first appearing in WAFA news, cited Kamel Ayyad, the director of public relations for the Gaza Greek Orthodox Church. Ayyad stated that the church had provided the Palestinian Civil Affairs Authority […]
Christians in Bethlehem accuse Palestinian Authority of ‘hijacking’ Christmas
The Palestinian Authority canceled a press conference to present the program of the upcoming Christmas celebrations that was going to take place in Ramallah on Thursday, the Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday. According to the report, in the past, the pre-Christmas press conference had always been organized in the city of Bethlehem. The change of venue […]
Christians are attacked in Bethlehem. A rabbi calls on Israel to intervene
A series of attacks targeting Christians and Christian sites in the Bethlehem area has many faith leaders deeply concerned. The persecution is threatening the existence of the oldest Christian community in the world. There has been a marked uptick in religiously motivated attacks by Palestinian Muslims on Christians in Bethlehem. Just over two weeks ago, […]
Christmas in the Holy Land: Why This Year a Dark Shadow Looms Over the Christian Holiday
Hundreds of thousands of Christians visit Israel every year to visit some of the Bible’s most important sites and follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who is said to have been born in Bethlehem and later crucified and resurrected at what is now the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s […]
Bethlehem’s Arab Culture Week Honors Terrorists, Prisoners As Palestinian Cultural Heroes
While Jews revere Bethlehem as the final resting place of the matriarch Rachel, and Christians honor the city at the birthplace of Jesus, the Palestinian Authority routinely uses the city to revere terrorism.
13 American Christian Pilgrims Stuck in Bethlehem Quarantine Amid Coronavirus Fears
The group was tested and placed in quarantine after seven employees at a hotel the group was staying at tested positive for the virus. The group left the hotel to look for new lodgings but were later taken back by local police.
Coronavirus Shuts Down Bethlehem: Church of Nativity Locked; State of Emergency Declared
The measure made by Bennett to close the ancient city was determined on the basis of several cases of coronavirus that originated from the area of Bethlehem.
It’s not Trivial to Know Bethlehem isn’t in a Non-Existent Nation
The game show “Jeopardy!” courted controversy when giving a clue to which there can be no definitive answer as long as the Palestinians reject peace.
‘Jeopardy!’ Under Fire for Telling Truth About Bethlehem Being in Israel
The $200 clue in the category “Where’s that Church?” was “Built in the 300s A.D., the Church of the Nativity.”
