Bethlehem: Media Coverage & Deception

Tim Holmes — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:52:54 +0000

Every now and then, particularly around Christmas, the odd commentator in the British press attempts to deny Israel’s responsibility for the demise of Bethlehem and the suffering of its residents, blaming the Palestinians themselves and the media’s supposedly inherent desire to demonise Israel. This year, one such person is Michael Gove, a columnist for The Times, writing in the newspaper on 11 December 2007 under the headline “Bethlehem and bigtory.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/michael_gove/article…

“The truth is very different,” claims Gove, adding that the “parlous position of Palestinian Christians…is a consequence not of Israeli aggression,” and that “Israel goes out of its way to honour sites and traditions sacred to other faiths.”

He is either woefully ignorant of the situation, or wilfully deceiving his readers. Either way, it is evident that he has neither the knowledge nor authority to speak for Bethlehem’s residents or Palestinian Christians, who would vehemently disagree with him. As such, AMW recommends that Gove and his ilk visit Bethlehem, speak to Palestinian Christians, and brush up on relevant, authoritative human rights reports.

One such report, entitled “Costs of Conflict: The Changing Face of Bethlehem,” was published in December 2004 by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the Office of the Special Coordinator for the Peace Process in the Middle East (UNSCO).

http://domino.un.org/pdfs/Beth_Rep_Dec04.pdf

Following are extracts from the report:

“Surrounded by Israel’s Barrier on two sides and restricted roads and roadblocks on the other, urban Bethlehem has become isolated from the rest of the West Bank and most importantly, from Jerusalem.”

Straining Links Between Bethlehem and Jerusalem

“A number of Israeli settlements have been built around Bethlehem.”

Barriers, Restricted Roads and Settlements

“Urban Bethlehem is surrounded by a combination of nine Israeli settlements, a stretch of the Barrier, roads restricted to Israelis and a multitude of checkpoints, earth mounds and roadblocks.”

“Bethlehem residents wishing to reach Jerusalem require a permit from the Israeli Civil Administration that can be obtained from the Etzion District Coordination Office (DCO) after a security review by the Israeli intelligence services. Even with a permit, access to Jerusalem may be denied at the discretion of the Israeli Border Police at Gilo checkpoint.”

Reduced Access to Holy Sites

“In accordance with Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Israel is bound to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to ensure access to Christian, Jewish and Muslim holy places that are under its control. Since 1993, the measures taken by the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces]…have restricted Bethlehem’s Christian and Muslim worshippers from accessing their holy sites in Jerusalem – either Friday prayer at the Al Aqsa Mosque or Sunday mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.”

Rachel’s Tomb

“Located on Bethlehem’s main road in the northern part of the city, Rachel’s Tomb is stated to be the burial site of the Biblical matriarch Rachel. Both Jewish and Muslim communities have worshipped at this site erecting prayer areas around the Tomb. Under the Interim Agreement in 1995, both Israel and the Palestinian Authority agreed to allow Jewish worshippers access to the site, while guaranteeing unimpeded movement for Palestinians on the main road. In 1997, the Israeli army built a wall across the main access road in Bethlehem where the tomb is located…cutting the ancient biblical route and main transport artery between Jerusalem and Bethlehem and Hebron. The Israeli planned route for the Barrier effectively removes Rachel’s Tomb and the surrounding neighborhood from Bethlehem into Jerusalem’s expanded boundaries. The number of Israeli visitors to Rachel’s Tomb has increased. Recently, Israeli settlers have attempted to move into an apartment that has been connected to the Tomb. Meanwhile, a Muslim religious site inside Rachel’s Tomb, Bilal Mosque, is inaccessible to Muslim worshippers.”

Conclusion

“The age-old link between Jerusalem and Bethlehem is nearly severed as a result of Israeli policies including settlements, a host of physical barriers and roads restricted to Israelis. Without a political settlement that can remove the host of physical obstacles, including the Barrier, and the influence of Israeli settlements, the future for Bethlehem residents looks bleak.”

Take Action

Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk, michael.gove@thetimes.co.uk and / or post your comment in the feedback section at the end of the article. Please be concise and polite, and BCC letters to info@arabmediawatch.com. If you want your letter to be published in the newspaper, indicate this in the subject line of your email (do not copy and paste the subject or contents of this Action Alert) and provide your full name, address and contact details. Letter-writing tips can be found at:

http://tinyurl.com/2eblja

Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi and Guy Gabriel | ukwatch.net

Bethlehem: Media Coverage & Deception