By Michael I. Krauss and J. Peter Pham
FrontPageMagazine.com
The birthplace of Jesus is facing one of the darkest chapters in its history, according to Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh’s just-delivered annual Christmas address, and of course it’s all the fault of the Jews.
The pro-Palestinian Middle East Online reports that the Roman Catholic mayor, a 71-year-old Marxist former “activist” in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), sees Bethlehem today as little more than “a big prison,” thanks to the Israeli security fence. “Usually around Christmastime Bethlehem used to be packed with tourists and pilgrims,” the mayor said. “Now, as you can see, the little town seems to be so quiet under the shadow of this wall.” The wall has devastated Palestinian farmers as well, the mayor said, adding that acres of arable land were confiscated to make way for the barrier’s cement blocks and guard towers. “Many Palestinian farmers are denied access to reach their lands to collect their harvest,” Batarseh said. “Many others have no access to markets to sell their produce.” The dwindling tourist numbers, Israeli closures and the severe limits on Palestinian work permits are, he asserts, the reason why unemployment in Bethlehem has soared to 65 percent. Meanwhile, the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government promised Bethlehem municipal authorities $50,000 for Christmas decorations, but the money has yet to arrive. Still, Batarseh, who despite his Christian faith is a Hamas ally who holds office thanks to the votes of councilors from the radical movement, refused to criticize the ruling Islamists.
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