EXCLUSIVE: Pope to speak in school instead of next to 'security fence'; Israel to be blamed
This is an example of how the 'Palestinians' play games with a willingly gullible world media to make Israel look bad. Nothing here is likely to shock most of you, but it's important to remind everyone that this is what goes on. I got this in an email from a reader I'll call Bill (not his real name).I was in Bethlehem yesterday accompanying a film crew who wanted to get some footage of the site where the pope is meant to speak next week. While the actual speech will take place in the UN school across the road from the podium, the media are being informed that it's going to happen "by the wall". According to the arabs living across the road, there is no way the podium will be finished in time, but they will say that the Israeli's prevented them from finishing it.
I don't know if you have ever been in Bethlehem but it is, based on my initial observation, a nice, modern Middle Eastern city. And as for the refugee camp, well, I've seen buildings in worse shape by the tachanah merkazit [central bus station. CiJ] in Tel Aviv. And, as I hail from South Africa, I can tell you that comparing the homes of the poor "palestinain" people to those of the average black person, well, there is no comparison. If only all the poor people of the world had the support of the UN and Cindy Sheehan we might be able to move forward to achieving some form of utopia on Earth, but I digress.
I took a lot of pictures of the artwork on the wall done by "international artists" but it was interesting to note that the palestinain" (sic) contribution consisted of hateful graffiti (see pic). Nothing more. I could not help but think that the "good intentions of the "international artists"to donate their work for the struggle of the "palestinain" people was akin to casting pearls before swine.'Casting pearls before swine.' What an apt description.
As it happens, I was in Bethlehem many times in the late '70's and early '80's when it was still considered safe to go there. I've never been in Daheishe (the 'refugee camp') which is up a hill off the main road. Even then we generally did not go off the main road (except for one trip to Manger Square in the early '70's but that's a different story). The last time I was in Bethlehem was a visit to Rachel's
The pictures below are of Rachel's tomb as I remember it from the '80's and '90's and as it looks today - a fortress. There is an excellent pictorial history of the tomb here.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:21 PM
7 Comments:
At one point, the city was mostly Christian Arab. Today Bethlehem is mostly Muslim Arab. It escapes people's memory but during the second intifida, the Bethlehem area was a point of rocketing and firing into the Jewish suburbs to the north of the city and that experience served as the inspiration for building the separation barrier. Its important to remind people why it exists - though at one time there was pretty much open ground in the region back as far as the early 1990s.
*cough*
Morally equivalent Pope*cough*
(Shmuck)
Hey, Carl, we're chokin' 'em next door.
When I get into the occasional argument on this topic, I ask my opponent to explain why the Palestinians rank so highly on any Human Development Index. (There are several including one by the UN.)
Their standard of living is higher than all the surrounding Arab countries and far above South Africa, an increasingly vocal anti-Israel country.
Funny that.
Twenty-four hours later your story is confirmed:
"Committee organizing West Bank portion of Benedict XVI's visit moves stage from towering concrete section of security barrier to UN school 'after huge Israeli pressure'; Jerusalem says PA trying to politicize papal visit"
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3712559,00.html
Carl and ShyGuy - Bethlehem may be Arab but 86,000 Jews still live in the region surrounding the city and its one rich in biblical history. The one holy city to Judaism still without a Jewish majority to this day is Hebron.
"The one holy city to Judaism still without a Jewish majority to this day is Hebron."
Get busy guys! ;)
Blessings,
Daniel
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