Bethlehem

It's not too often that one can casually pop on over to the birthplace of Christ, so when I overheard (and understood!) that two of the guys at the office were going to Bethlehem for a meeting, I asked if I could come along.

Bethlehem is only about 13 miles from Ramallah, but unfortunately for anyone without an Israeli permit (ie: most Palestinians), between them lies Jerusalem and it's ring of settlements, which must be circumvented. It took us nearly an hour and a half to get there.

Just south of Ramallah, the land gets much dryer. The stark canyons are striking, and the hills are dotted with Beduin villages. I even saw camels on a distant ridge. More striking, are the walls and fences that cut through the landscape, protecting Israeli settlements and their roads.

The West Bank contains different classifications of roads. Many of the roads I've driven on are shared roads, which connect to both Palestinian and Israeli roads and are populated by cars with both nation's license plates. The roads to the settlements, as well as certain express highways are reserved for Israeli's only. Their entrances are guarded by soldiers, and in the area I was driving through, almost all of them are fortified with some combination of concrete walls, fences and patrol roads. Israelis are prohibited from driving the roads to certain Palestinian cities and villages, but the entrances are marked with signs rather than guard houses, and the prohibition is only inforced by the Israeli government, not the Palestinian government or the people. “We welcome everyone.” Majd tells me. Generally, the only Israelis using these roads are ones who come to protest with the Palestinians.

I've mostly stopped asking about every wall and fence, but when we came to fields of tree stumps, I had to inquire, “What happened to the trees?”

My coworkers definitely had information, but seemed unsure as to exactly what applied to these particular fileds, how to explain it to me, and how to say it in English.

I think it's because the Palestinians made a lot of operations in this area, and it was to show them that the visitors can do whatever they want,” explained one.

“I think Palestinians are not allowed to plant on this land, even though it is Palestinian land,” said the other.

In Bethlehem, ancient-looking buildings made of sandy white stone sit embedded in the hillside. The streets and the church were full of groups of tourists, some wearing scarves on their heads, and others wearing tank tops. Since the real purpose of the visit was a meeting, and we all had work to do back at the office, I didn't see much of the city, but they did take a break to show me the Nativity Church, allegedly the place where Jesus was born. The church was ancient and stately, but also teeming with tourists and their cameras (including myself). As a whole, in comparison to Ramallah's vibrant, colorful chaos, Bethlehem seemed kind of sterile and artificial, and it made me glad to be living where I do.