IBetlehema, indawo okwazalelwa kuyo uJesu waseNazaretha, izivakashi zikhula ngokuphindwe kane ngemva kwezinkathi zikaKhisimusi ezimnyama eziyisikhombisa, kusho umphathi-dolobha wedolobha.
Cishe izivakashi ezingama-250,000 zizovakashela leli dolobha kuleli sonto, zisuka ku-65,000 ngesonto elifanayo ngonyaka odlule, kusho iMeya uVictor Batarseh engxoxweni yocingo. Balinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-1.25 abavakashi okulindeleke ukuthi bavakashele eBethlehem ekupheleni kwalo nyaka, okusho ukuthi bakhuphuke ngamaphesenti angama-96 kusukela ngo-2007, ngokusho kweBethlehem Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
"Wonke amakamelo angama-3000 eBethlehem abhukhelwe uKhisimusi," kusho uSamir Hazboun, usihlalo wegumbi. “Ukuntuleka kwemisebenzi kuleli dolobha kwehle kwafinyelela ku-23% kusuka ku-45% ngonyaka odlule.
Ezokuvakasha edolobheni laseWest Bank zithinteke kakhulu kule minyaka eyisikhombisa edlule, zehla ngamaphesenti angama-90 kusukela ngo-2000 kuya ku-2001 lapho kuqalwa lokho okubizwa nge-intifada yesibili yasePalestine, ebone ukwanda kodlame kuso sonke isifunda. Kulo nyaka, izinxushunxushu zehle kakhulu eWest Bank njengoba amabutho athembeke kuMengameli wasePalestine uMahmoud Abbas, obesengxoxweni yokuthula ne-Israel kusukela ngo-2007, ehlanganisa ukulawula izindawo.
Ihhotela likaMichael Kreitem, iBethlehem Star, elingasezindleleni zasendulo lapho uMariya noJosefa abake bahamba khona ngaphambi kokuba babuye nendodana, laligcwele phama izihambeli ezingamaKristu ezikhuluma isiRashiya, zivela ohambweni losuku olulodwa lwaseNazaretha.
UCatalina Kolchik, 32, uthe ubesanda kubuya e-Church of Nativity, lapho ngokwesiko lamaKrestu, uMariya wabonakala okokuqala enoJesu Kristu.
Inkanyezi yaseBetlehema
Ngaphandle kwesonto, elihlukaniswe ngamasentimitha ngamasentimitha ngabefundisi base-Armenia, bamaKatolika nabama-Orthodox, kwamiswa isihlahla sikaphayini esingamamitha angu-50 (amamitha angu-15), savunuliswa ngemihlobiso futhi sambozwa iNkanyezi YaseBethlehema, okusho iVangeli likaMathewu. yikho okwaholela abahlakaniphileyo ukuba baye eBhetlehema bayokhulekela uJesu.
Inqwaba yamaphoyisa asePalestine atshalwe azungeze umngcele weDolobha Elidala kanye nasezintubeni zokungena ezindaweni zezenkolo, ehlola izimoto kanye nabahamba ngezinyawo abadlulayo.
Umbutho wezempi wakwa-Israel kanye nezokuphepha zasePalestine zixhumanise “ukuqinisekisa ukuthi abahambahambayo, izivakashi nabaholi bezenkolo bahamba ngendlela eshelelayo futhi evikelekile,” kusho uLt. Col. Eyad Sirhan, oyiNhloko yeHhovisi Lokuxhumanisa i-Civil Administration eBethlehem Coordination Office.
Irekhodi labavakashi abangamaKristu abayizigidi ezimbili bavakashele kwa-Israyeli kanye nezindawo zasePalestine kulo nyaka ngokusho koMnyango Wezokuvakasha wakwa-Israel.
Noma kunjalo, uSaied Querid, okhuluma kahle isiNgisi osebenza njengomqondisi wezivakashi nomshayeli wetekisi eBethlehem, uthe iningi labavakashi bangamaKristu abeza edolobheni ukuze babone izindawo ezibalulekile futhi bagcine bechitha isikhathi sabo esiningi kwa-Israel.
“Abantu basasaba ukulala lapha futhi bachithe isikhathi esingaphezu kosuku olulodwa noma ezimbili lapha,” kusho uQuerid. “Kunenhlamba yokuthi le ndawo iyingozi abantu abangayivakashela. Umnotho wethu unethuba elikhulu lokuzuza ekukhuleni kwezokuvakasha kwa-Israel.”
Ukulwa EGaza
Ukulwa kuyaqhubeka eGaza lapho iqembu lamaphekula i-Hamas lathatha khona izintambo ngonyaka odlule futhi ukufinyelela kuvinjelwe izixwayiso zokuhamba ngamazwe. I-Islamic Jihad kanye namanye amaphekula asePalestine eGaza aqale kabusha ukudubula amarokhethi e-Sderot nakwamanye amadolobha asemngceleni wakwa-Israel ngenkathi i-Israel yenze ukuhlasela kwezindiza eGaza ngemuva kwesivumelwano sezinyanga eziyisithupha esiphele ngomhlaka-19 Disemba.
Izivakashi ezivakashela eBetlehema ezivela kwa-Israyeli kufanele zidlule endaweni yokuhlola enezivikelo eziqinile, zinqamule udonga lukakhonkolo oluphakeme ngamamitha angu-8 olugoqa emithambekeni enamagquma yaseMpumalanga yeJerusalema. Abakwa-Israel bathi lolu donga lwezokuphepha, olungamaphesenti ayishumi ovimba phakathi kwe-Israel neWest Bank, luyithuluzi elidingekayo lokuvikela izakhamizi zakwa-Israel ekuhlaselweni yiPalestine kuyilapho abamelene nodonga bethi luhlanganisa umhlaba wasePalestine futhi lwephula umthetho wamazwe ngamazwe.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- Noma kunjalo, uSaied Querid, okhuluma kahle isiNgisi osebenza njengomqondisi wezivakashi nomshayeli wetekisi eBethlehem, uthe iningi labavakashi bangamaKristu abeza edolobheni ukuze babone izindawo ezibalulekile futhi bagcine bechitha isikhathi sabo esiningi kwa-Israel.
- Tourism in the West Bank city took a deep hit in the last seven years, plummeting by 90 percent from 2000 to 2001 with the inception of the so-called second Palestinian intifada, which saw a rise in violence throughout the region.
- Ngaphandle kwesonto, elihlukaniswe ngamasentimitha ngamasentimitha ngabefundisi base-Armenia, bamaKatolika nabama-Orthodox, kwamiswa isihlahla sikaphayini esingamamitha angu-50 (amamitha angu-15), savunuliswa ngemihlobiso futhi sambozwa iNkanyezi YaseBethlehema, okusho iVangeli likaMathewu. yikho okwaholela abahlakaniphileyo ukuba baye eBhetlehema bayokhulekela uJesu.
