Bethlehem Archives - The Jerusalem Fund

A gruelling life for Palestinian workers in Israel

February 15, 2016February 10, 2016 by Lucian Dieterman

Bethlehem, occupied West Bank – During the day, the Bethlehem Checkpoint 300 tells only half the story. A few lone travelers make the crossing in mere minutes, passing through multiple electronic turnstiles and a warehouse-like compound, and undergoing a quick passport check before leaving the occupied West Bank and entering Israel. For Palestinian workers making their way through the terminal during the dead of night, however, the same crossing can take hours.

A grim start to the new year in Bethlehem

July 27, 2021January 11, 2016 by Lucian Dieterman

Bethlehem, occupied West Bank – Each year, tens of thousands of Christians make their way to the historic city of Bethlehem for Christmas. Believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the city’s Christmas mass is broadcast around the world. Tourists, diplomats and journalists flock to the church annually to see the nativity scene. But Bethlehem has not been immune to the tensions between Palestinians and Israelis that have escalated over the past few months. Clashes on the streets of Bethlehem often last for hours, well into the night, as Palestinians hurl rocks and Israelis respond with tear gas and bullets.

Bethlehem: Living Between Tear Gas and Christmas Ornaments

July 27, 2021December 24, 2015 by Lucian Dieterman

By Zeina Azzam

For the West Bank city of Bethlehem, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, the juxtaposition of hopes and fears is the stuff of everyday life. That Palestinians of all faiths in Bethlehem and throughout the West Bank, Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel, and the diaspora hold onto hope and have faith in a better future is a challenging feat indeed. Starting with the violent dislocation of three-quarters of a million Palestinians in 1948, Israel’s military occupation in 1967 of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, and a number of major wars, military assaults, and oppressive policies, Palestinians have endured lifetimes of injustice.

Israel releases Dawabsha arson suspect on house arrest

July 27, 2021December 14, 2015 by Lucian Dieterman

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel on Thursday released an Israeli settler arrested for suspected involvement in a fatal arson attack on a Palestinian family in July, Israeli media reported.The settler, connected to a Jewish extremist organization, was arrested along with several others as a suspect in an arson that killed three members of the Dawabsha family in Duma village in the northern occupied West Bank district of Nablus.The suspect was reportedly released and transferred to house arrest for five days at his home in the illegal Israeli settlement of Benyamin, east of Ramallah city.

The Grinch who stole Palestinian Christmas

February 15, 2016December 14, 2015 by Lucian Dieterman

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Activist Hekmat Bessiso recently wrote on her Facebook page, “If the birthplace of Jesus Christ does not celebrate Christmas, who in the world will? I hope Palestine remains full of lights every December. Our struggle is enduring, and this is why we should preserve our joy.” Bessiso’s comments were in protest of a Nov. 23 declaration by the Council of Churches of Ramallah city and municipality to cancel the annual Christmas tree lighting and limit Christmas celebrations to religious rituals because of the current unrest. It said the decision had been made out of respect for victims and the wounded. As of Dec. 8, the number of Palestinians killed during the two-month-old intifada stood at 117.

Turmoil in Holy Land to overshadow Christmas celebrations

February 15, 2016December 7, 2015 by Lucian Dieterman

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The towering Christmas tree on Bethlehem’s Manger Square has officially been lit, but this year’s festivities look set to be dampened by ongoing unrest across the Holy Land.

111 Palestinians shot, injured during West Bank, Gaza demonstrations

February 15, 2016November 16, 2015 by Lian Najjar

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — At least 94 Palestinians were shot and injured on Friday during clashes across the occupied West Bank, medics told Ma’an.
In al-Balou area of northern al-Bireh in the Ramallah district, 26 Palestinians were injured with live bullets and 35 with rubber-coated steel bullets, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Rooftop gardens give refugees room to breathe

February 15, 2016June 23, 2015 by Tom Lonner

Silvia Boarini: In the narrow alleys of Dheisheh refugee camp in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, Muaath Atef points to a rooftop. “There, that’s a nice bit of plastic,” he laughs. Behind that bit of plastic lies a garden set up by Karama, a volunteer community organization in the camp.

Back Stories: U.S. News Productions and Palestinian Politics

February 15, 2016April 15, 2013 by Nick Bascunan-Wiley

Studying how journalists work in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Nablus, and on the tense roads that connect these cities, Amahl Bishara demonstrates how the production of U.S. news about Palestinians depends on multifaceted collaborations, typically invisible to Western readers. She focuses on the work that Palestinian journalists do behind the scenes and below the bylines.