E-BETHLEHEM, West Bank — Ohambeni lwakho olulandelayo, ungase ucabangele lokhu: ubusuku obune nezinsuku ezinhlanu endaweni enelanga “iPalestine: izwe lezimangaliso”.
Kunzima ukudayiswa kwendawo eseyafana nodlame lwaseMpumalanga Ephakathi, ezweni elingakabi yizwe elingalawuli ngisho yonke indawo yalo, ingasaphathwa eyokuheha izivakashi ezinkulu.
Nokho izibalo zikhuphukela onyakeni wesithathu. Amarekhodi omnyango wezokuvakasha ePalestine akhombisa ukuthi abavakashi ababalelwa ezigidini ezi-2.6 bavakashela eWest Bank ehlalwa yi-Israel ngo-2009.
Kulabo, abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyi-1.7 babengabokufika, ngaphansi nje ngamaphesenti angu-1.2 kunango-2008 - isimangaliso esingokoqobo ngesikhathi lapho ukwehla komnotho womhlaba kuthumele ezokuvakasha ziwela ngamaphesenti ayishumi kuso sonke isifunda.
Iqiniso lokuthi izindawo zasePalestine ziyingxenye yeZwe Elingcwele lilandisa ingxenye enkulu yempumelelo.
IBetlehema, ikhaya leBandla Lokuzalwa KukaJesu elakhelwe kulokho isiko elikuphethe njengendawo yokuzalwa kukaJesu, liyindawo ekhanga kakhulu. Ngaphezu kwamaphesenti angama-80 azo zonke izivakashi ezifika ezindaweni zasePalestine zivakashela eBethlehem.
“Asinawo ulwandle nezikhungo zemidlalo, asinawo uwoyela nemfashini nama-nightclub. Izivakashi kumele zize njengama- pilgrim,” kusho imeya yaseBethlehem uVictor Batarseh.
Nokho, ukuba indawo ekhanga umuntu oyedwa kunezihibe zakho, futhi labo abezayo abachithi isikhathi esiningi noma imali.
“Nsuku zonke beza bazovakashela idolobha lethu, kodwa imizuzu engu-20 nje kuphela,” kusho u-Adnan Subah, odayisela abavakashi izinto eziqoshwe ngokhuni lomnqumo nezitsha zobumba.
"Basuka ebhasini bangene esontweni bese bebuyela ebhasini," esho, ekhombisa ukudangala esitolo sakhe esingenalutho yize sisendaweni ephambili eduze kwesonto eManger Square.
Noma kunjalo, naphezu kwesiqubulo salo esithi “iPalestine: izwe lezimangaliso,” umnyango wezokuvakasha wasePalestine uthi unokuningi ongakunikeza ngaphandle nje kwezindawo ezingcwele.
Izincwajana zikhuluma ngezimangaliso zezindawo zokugeza zaseTurkey zaseNablus, izitolo zekhofi ezixubile eRamallah kanye nezindawo ezikhangayo zemivubukulo yaseJeriko yasendulo.
Kodwa amapheshana acwebezelayo avame ukucwebezela phezu kweqiniso eliyinkimbinkimbi lesifunda esiguquguqukayo kakhulu.
Imizamo yomnyango igxile kakhulu ezintweni ezikhangayo zaseJerusalema, amaPalestine abathi inhloko-dolobha yezwe labo lakusasa.
Kodwa lonke iJerusalema lilawulwa u-Israyeli, owathumba ingxenye esempumalanga yeDolobha Elingcwele ngeMpi Yezinsuku Eziyisithupha yango-1967 futhi kamuva walihlanganisa ngomnyakazo ongaziwa umphakathi wamazwe ngamazwe.
Amapheshana ongqongqoshe basePalestine awasho lutho ngezivimbamgwaqo zamasosha akwa-Israel noma umgoqo wokuhlukanisa iWest Bank ohlanganisa udonga lukakhonkolo oluphakeme lwamamitha ayisishiyagalombili (26-foot-) olunqamula iBetlehema eJerusalema.
Izincwajana zize zeluleke abahambi ukuthi bangene ezindaweni zaseGaza Strip, edume “ngesimo solwandle esikhululekile”.
Namuhla, abavakashi abavunyelwe ngisho nokungena endaweni engayodwa, ecekelwe phansi yimpi ephethwe yinhlangano yamaSulumane i-Hamas, okwathi ngo-2007 yaxosha ngendluzula amabutho ezwe athembeke ku-Palestinian Authority esekelwa iNtshonalanga.
Kusukela lapho, i-Israel ne-Egypt babeke imingcele eqinile, evumela kuphela izimpahla zobuntu eziyisisekelo endaweni yasogwini.
Ungqongqoshe wezokuvakasha wasePalestine uKhulud Daibes, umdwebi wezakhiwo wase-Germany ofunde e-Urban, uthi nakuba lezi zincwajana zizama ukukhombisa konke okunikezwa yisifunda, ukugxila kwazo kwangempela kungokoqobo.
“Asikwazi ukukhangisa yonke indawo yasePalestine, ngakho-ke sigxile kunxantathu waseJerusalema, iBethlehem neJeriko,” kusho yena. “Yilapho sizizwa sikhululekile ngezindaba zokuphepha kanye nenkululeko yokuhamba.”
Kamuva kulo nyaka, uhlela ukwethula umkhankaso othi “Jeriko 10,000” ogxile edolobheni laseBhayibhelini, okukholakala ukuthi lingelinye lamadala kakhulu emhlabeni.
Njengoba iseduze noLwandle Olufile, iJeriko isivele iyindawo ethandwa kakhulu phakathi kwezivakashi zasePalestine ngokwazo.
Nokho, inselele enkulu kangqongqoshe ukuzama ukukhuthaza nokuthuthukisa ezokuvakasha endaweni ethathwa abantu.
Abantu basePalestine abasenaso esabo isikhumulo sezindiza, futhi abalawuleki ngisho nokuwela imingcele yabo yokungena emazweni angomakhelwane iJordani neGibhithe.
“Kuyinselelo kithina, ukuthi singasungula kanjani izinto ezintsha futhi sikhuthaze ezokuvakasha ngaphansi kwemisebenzi,” kusho yena.
"Kudingeka senze abantu babone ukuthi ngemuva kodonga kunesipiliyoni esihle esilindile, futhi sibenze bahlale isikhathi eside ngasohlangothini lwasePalestine."
Ukuphepha kuyisici esibalulekile emizamweni yokuthuthukisa ezokuvakasha.
Amasosha asePalestine aqeqeshwe yi-US akwazile ukuletha ukuthula ezindaweni ezihlaselwe udlame kule minyaka edlule, futhi lokhu kuhambe ibanga elide ekuqinisekiseni izivakashi ezingaba izivakashi.
"Besinomuzwa wokukhathazeka kakhulu ngaso sonke isikhathi, kodwa konke kuhamba kahle," kusho uJuan Cruz, 27, waseMexico ovakashele eBethlehem ngoKhisimusi. "Konke kuphephe kakhulu futhi kunamaphoyisa amaningi yonke indawo, ngakho kuhle lokho."
Omunye umgomo wasePalestine ukuqinisa ukubambisana ne-Israel.
Ngaphandle kwezinsolo ezisalokhu ziqhubeka phakathi kwamaPalestine nama-Israel, bayavuma ukuthi ukubambisana kubalulekile kuzo zombili izinhlangothi.
“Sifuna ukubambisana. Sikholelwa ukuthi i-Holy Land yindawo okungafanele siphikisane ngayo uma kukhulunywa ngabahambela izindawo ezingcwele,” kusho uRafi Ben Hur, iphini lomqondisi ophikweni lwezokuvakasha kwa-Israel.
Futhi zombili izinhlangothi ziyavuma ukuthi akukhona nje mayelana namadola ezivakashi.
“Ezokuvakasha zingaba ithuluzi lokuthuthukisa ukuthula kuleli gumbi elincane lomhlaba,” kusho uDaibes.
