PA wants media outlets to pay to cover Bethlehem Christmas

Haaretz ^ | 12/22/03 | Arnon Regular

[claudwitz]

..an an unprecedented decision by the Palestinian Authority to charge fees from any networks wishing to broadcast on Christmas from the area near the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

In addition, the mass and ceremonies inside the Church of the Nativity will be produced and filmed exclusively by the official Palestinian television station, and no other stations will be allowed to film inside the church.

[Lazamataz]

This is but a shade of things to come.

The Palestinians must never be allowed to own a nation.

[smith288]

They gotta fund their homicide bombers somehow.

[Egon]

They gotta fund their homicide bombers somehow.

My thoughts exactly. Now that Iraq and Afghanistan aren't paying them, they have to make up the difference somewhere!

[claudwitz]

if you've got the time email the story to any columnists you think would cover it, all help appreiciated!

[Catspaw]

The media has plenty of stock footage of the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square. I'd suggest they use that rather than to line Yasser's pockets--and tell their viewers why they're doing it.

[17th Miss Regt]

I can see the PA wanting to have a monopoly on the broadcast rights. That way, when the homicide bomber blows himself and numerous worshipers to bits on Christmas eve, the PA TV folks will be on hand to give a direct feed to Al-Jazeera so the Muslims can dance in the streets. Of course, like any good TV crew, they will want to apply pancake makeup to the homicide bomber before he goes and does his thing so he looks good when it happens.

[AppyPappy]

Damn Jews. All they think about is money.

[claudwitz]

this amounts to a poll-tax proscribed for non-muslims, dhimmitude, religious prosecution for non-believers.

Religious freedoms abound in Islam, Not! they hide behind our religious and civil freedoms only to abuse and destroy them here in the u.s., I'm just sick of their b.s..

[DonQ]

This is an ugly portent of things to come. The PA has been using its grip on Christian shrines as leverage in every way -- squeezing Christian leaders inside and outside the Holy Land to publicly take sides against Israel, squeezing Christian pilgrims and tourists for every penny possible, and now even squeezing Christians who stay at home. And in the meanwhile restricting and even vandalizing some shrines (such as the Church of the Annunciation).

In previous years, the PA "arranged" that Christmas church services in Bethlehem would be subdued and short ... so that the Arabs could put on a Bastille Day type display, replete with pro-Palestinian songs, flag waving, and the usual anti-Israel sloganeering. Now they are establishing what is essentially a tax on newsreporting from their territory, and possibly this tax will go up and up if the news being reported is not to their liking. The Israelis didn't pull this stunt, nor even the Jordanians.

[Bikers4Bush]

Muslims cannot be trusted to protect and honor holy sites that belong to Judaism and Christianity.

They should be forced to give up any hope for control of those sites as a condition of the rest of us tolerating their existence on this planet.

[fortunecookie]

They gotta fund their homicide bombers somehow.

and

Muslims cannot be trusted to protect and honor holy sites that belong to Judaism and Christianity.

They should be forced to give up any hope for control of those sites as a condition of the rest of us tolerating their existence on this planet.

Bethlehem without Christmas. Who would ever have thought that Bethlehem would be silent, empty, and auctioned off to the highest bidders at Christmas??? How did they 'get' control anyway?? Oh yeah, the previous administration negotiated a special peace plan and land sharing plan. And it's working soooooo well.

And if they don't collect enough money, whatever amount they deem, they will drive out the rest of the Arab Christians (the Arabs having driven out many other Arab Christians) who they 'permitted' to run the place and desecrate or destoy whatever they feel is honored by or important to the infidels, both Christian and Jew. They've done it to sites in Israel already and in Afghanistan - bombing the giant buddhas. They won't hesitate again, if they can't gain by them.

[Catspaw]

Fox News is reporting that Christians in Bethlehem are leaving in droves, emigrating to other countries.

They're also reporting that the Egyptian foreign minister was beaten by Palestinians and that he suffered a heart attack during the beating.