NOTES FROM BETHELEHEM CENTER

Trip to International Center Of Bethlehem

—53% of Palestinians are 14 years and younger
—70% of graduates can find no employment
—travel is difficult because check points take time and are intermittent, sometimes open, sometimes closed, sometimes you can go one way and not be able to return. Routes are closed or blocked to Palestinians forcing long detours. Travel restrictions mean Palestinians cannot travel from one area of the West Bank to another. Curfews imposed on certain ages.
—Center works to empower women through training, education, skills for employment, opportunities for business through art; educates children through school and extra-circular activities; health center and wellness programs, sports; is a place open to everyone... Christian, Muslim, male, female; fundamentalism is not welcome nor tolerated
—IDF (Israeli Defence Force) make frequent incursions into West Bank areas and remove young men
—media reporting of events in ME have made for economic hardship because tourists are afraid to come to the HL, they feel it would be unsafe, the economy of Bethlehem is tourism driven
—emigration is the greatest threat to the Palestinian Christian community. Young and bright, well-educated Palestinians are emigrating, the Christian community is growing smaller which makes it a challenge to maintain culture and identity
—an enormous community of former Beit Sahur residents is now located in Flint, Michigan
—very few who have emigrated return because of the lack of opportunity in the ME
—Israeli government unspoken policy is to "squeeze" of the Palestinians by creating settlements around Palestinians areas, encourage settlers to move there and then wait as the nearby Palestinians move to create distance and/or confiscate the land to make room for more settlers. By "ringing" Palestinian areas the Israeli government eventually "connects the dots" and claims the land