O Little Town of Bethlehem

O Little Town of Bethlehem

July 9, 2006
By Jill, summer peace team member

I have spent the past few days in Bethlehem, working with some fabulous
people at a conflict resolution center called Wi'am, and seeing the city through the eyes of its residents. I put together materials for camps and workshops next week and was able to discuss the current events in Palestine with the staff.

Bethlehem has been cut off from almost all access. Though Jerusalem is
only about 6 miles away, it might as well be another universe, as the
Separation Wall, checkpoints, and Israeli policies and military presence
severely restricts movement between these 2 cities.

Coming and going from Bethlehem is an exercise in patience: the maze-like
checkpoint (which I swear changed configuration on the 2 times I went
through this week) takes care of that. The message as you approach the
checkpoint from the Bethlehem side (going towards Jerusalem) reads: "You
are now entering a military area" and gives a list of instructions to
follow, and ends with "May you go in peace and return in peace!" This is
a complete co-opting of the notion of peace, for there is noting peaceful
about this checkpoint.

And then there is the Tomb of Rachel. Inside, in the area for women's
prayer, the following Scripture passage is posted:

Thus says the LORD: In Ramah is heard the sound of moaning, of bitter
weeping! Rachel mourns her children, she refuses to be consoled because
her children are no more. Thus says the LORD: Cease your cries of
mourning, wipe the tears from your eyes. The sorrow you have shown shall
have its reward, says the LORD, they shall return from the enemy's land.
There is hope for your future, says the LORD; your children shall return
to their own borders. (Jeremiah 31:15-17).

The verse from Jeremiah strike me as particularly hypocritical--the
prophet's cries go unheard when it comes to the Palestinians, who are
denied access to Rachel's tomb. When I approached, my Palestinian guide
stayed in his parked car. Going there is an experience that is hard to
describe…the entrance is completely encased in 30 ft. concrete walls,
and soldiers and police are posted near the entrance. I have no idea what
the structure looks like from the outside, as a view of the tomb is
completely obstructed by walls.