Posted on 12/25/2018 9:19:45 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
It is Christmas in Bethlehem today (Tuesday). Bethlehem is unique in that it celebrates Christmas three times each year:
About 50 percent of the Palestinian Arab Christian community across Israel and the Palestinian territories belong to the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem and celebrate Christmas on January 7.
Pilgrims from around the world come to the West Bank city of Bethlemen each year to celebrate Christmas at the Church of the Nativity, venerated as the site of Jesus Christ’s birth. In past years, tourists have stayed away because of tensions and violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Last year, tensions were high because of repeated violence around the al-Aqsa Mosque/Temple Mount compound and then again when President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
However, this has been a relatively quiet year in the West Bank, and so this has been a record-setting year in terms of tourism. Some three million tourists have visited Bethlehem this year, and the city’s hotels hosted an “astounding” 10,000 tourists overnight on Christmas Eve. AFP and AP
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
I’m glad Bethlehem is having a good year. Less terrorism, more capitalism. The vendors need that income.
I’m not sure if much agriculture (farms) are in that area during the summer, but that is a long time from now.
Maybe there is some ag. Grapes, Olives, Dairy?
Went to Bethlehem in 1999 and while the Church at the Nativity was great, the city was SCARY with Palestinian men....mean looking... just hanging around all the tour busses! Couldn’t wait to get ack to Israel!
You went in 1999, and found it worrisome.
That was two years before 9/11.
One can only imagine what it’s like now.
I am constantly surprised that Israel is still on the map at all, let alone still a productive, prosperous country.
They are surrounded by rabid wolves.
However we got driven to the Border of Israel and Jordan by a Pali in a Mercedes and he picked us up a couple of days later and he drove us to where Pope JPII was just at, and even though he was very nice, I was afraid that he would take us to some dark street in the Muslim Quarter and KILL US!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isuu9EiFU_E
It's a shame that your visiting Bethlehem puts money into the hands of the palescumian terrorists. They are milking the holy sites of a religion they hate for all it's worth.
From a Christian point of view, this gets a relationship foot in the door. Somehow they have to manage well enough not to hate Jesus to carry on the tourist activities. And I daresay that it’s lucrative enough that anyone who took it on themselves to try to use the situation for jihadism would find their family shortly disappeared. “What, are you crazy, are you trying to kill the Christ Child tourism cash cow?”
And so God operates in unexpected manners.
Was there in January of this year and everything was fine!
I was PRIVLEDGED to go to Bethlehem and visit Jesus’s birthplace!!
My family and I lived for the better part of a decade in Beit Jala, literally across the street from Bethlehem. Back in those days, before the Intifada started, life was good. We had many adventures hiking and exploring the hills and valleys around Bethlehem. The Israeli Army (IDF) kept a low profile that kept the peace. After the Intifada began (it was a typical demonstration “strike” that didn’t end), things became dangerous. We stuck it out for a couple of years but our kids were getting to school age and there was no way we were going to send them to the local public schools, where they could be kidnapped or whatever. Wish I could get a decent plate of humus and falafel, and a shwarma pita sandwich.
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