Monday, May 29, 2006

Bethlehem

Today we met up with our Eastern Europe friends for a morning trip to Bethlehem, where we would be in areas controlled entirely by the Palestinian Authority. For all the talk of kidnappings and other trouble, Bethlehem was peaceful, well-managed, and pleasant-looking. The police vehicles, blue and white, were new, and the officers had sharp uniforms. The only thing amiss was the many closed shops thoughout the hilltop city. Later, our guide explained that since the second intefada (or as he called it, the 'second situation') most of the tourists have gone and the thiving business community which was based on the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square has pretty much disappeared. Many Palestinian Christians have emigrated, our guide said.


The two guys had arranged for the cab to take us there and back for 250 NIS, which would include the cost of the guide. The drive to Bethlehem was by 'back roads' and we never passed through any sort of manned checkpoint. At one point I realized the street signs were a different color and then I saw the Palestinian police car. We arrived at Manger Square, met our guide, and prepared for our tour of certainly the most authentic church (historically speaking) I'd been to in Israel.




From top to bottom: The Bethlehem Peace Center, just off Manger Square; photos of the Palestinian Territories taken during the drive from Jaffa Gate.

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