a Christmas gift for Bethlehem's pilgrims

Tradition holds that Jesus was born in Bethlehem -- in Hebrew/Ivrit, Bet Lechem, House of Bread, probably a community of bakers 2000 years ago. Bethlehem is a tiny town on the outskirts of Jerusalem, but nearly sealed off and suffocated socially and economically from the rest of the world by "The Thing" -- Israel's Separation Barrier, an architectural descendant of The Berlin Wall designed to keep human beings imprisoned, isolated, and prevented from free travel.

Bethlehem is not in Israel, but in the Israeli-controlled West Bank territories taken by military force in the 1967 war between Israel and neighboring Arab/Muslim nations.

One of the most famous religious pilgrimages on Earth is the Christmas pilgrimage to Bethlehem to celebrate the birth of Jesus -- nobody can nail the exact date, but it was during the reign of the first Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus. Jesus' parents went to Bethlehem in obedience to a Roman tax census, and finding no room at the inn, the child was born in a stable filled with farm animals.

Maybe I'll write more about the Suffocation of Bethlehem and the annual traditional world-class insult and military impediment to Christian Pilgrims, but for now, here's something of a Christmas Present -- if you can perceive the temporary restoration of the fundamental human right of travel and religious worship as a gift.

This "gift" is like thanking a hoodlum for not beating you up anymore.

IDF is Israel's military forces, Israel Defense Force. It falls to the IDF to stick weapons in the faces of Pilgrims trying to reach Bethlehem at Christmas.

There are appropriate, even honorable, worthy jobs for soldiers. This is not one of them -- using weapons to interfere with religious activities and worship.

But it seems as if this Christmas, Pilgrims are getting an easier time to visit Manger Square, Bethlehem. Merry Christmas to them all!

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Jewish Telegraphic Agency
(newswire founded 1919, headquartered in New York City)
Thursday 24 December 2009

West Bank Palestinians
entering Israel

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- An unlimited number of West Bank Palestinians will be allowed to enter Israel for holiday and family gatherings.

More than 10,000 permits valid between Dec. 20 and Jan. 20 have already been issued, according to the IDF spokesperson and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories spokesman in a statement released Thursday.

In addition, 300 Christian-Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip over the age of 35 will be allowed to enter the West Bank for 24 hours during the Christmas holiday. Another 300 Christian Palestinians will be permitted to cross to the Ben Gurion International Airport. These permits will be issued subject to a security clearance.

During the holiday season, all the crossings into Bethlehem will be open 24 hours a day, according to an IDF official. Additional staff from the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria are scheduled to help ensure easy passage for visitors.

"Israeli security forces will continue to operate in order to ensure freedom of religion and normal way of life for Palestinians uninvolved in terrorism," the statement said.

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