Israel arranges 'easy access' for international Christians to access Bethlehem during Christmas

Monday December 24, 2007 07:46 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

With the massive concrete Annexation Wall towering over Bethlehem and blocking exit for virtually all Palestinians, international visitors on pilgrimage to Bethlehem for Christmas will be able to use an 'express checkpoint' to enter Bethlehem for Christmas. Palestinian Christians will still have to use the regular checkpoint.

Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem

The envoy of the Quartet for Mideast Peace, Tony Blair, stated that he had been pressing the Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on this issue, as the Wall has made it extremely difficult for pilgrims to pass, particularly during Christmas, when an estimated 20,000 international visitors are expected to visit Bethlehem for the Christmas mass.

Israeli forces have constructed the Wall over the last several years to separate Bethlehem and all other parts of Palestine from Jerusalem and Israel.

Palestinians are forced to obtain permits months in advance from Israeli military forces in order to pass through the Wall. These permits are extremely difficult to obtain and few are ever given out. Even with the permit, Palestinians who wish to pass through the Wall must go through an intricate and multi-tiered set of security checks, winding through a maze into an underground bunker where Israeli military personnel search and interrogate them, and the waiting lines can take many hours.

Israeli authorities say they are coordinating with the Palestinian Tourism Ministry, run by the unelected government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to facilitate the passage of the international Christian pilgrims.

The Palestinian government has deployed 2000 security personnel in the city of Bethlehem just days before the holiday celebration.

bethlehem | the wall | news report saed at imemc dot org