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Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Pope Benedict – First New Citizen of Bethlehem
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CNI is making the Bethlehem/Jerusalem/Ramallah problem of access for pilgrims and American Palestinians a high priority in 2006. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas invited Pope Bendecit XVI to visit Jerusalem only a few days after Ariel Sharon had done the same. Will the two leaders of Israel and Palestine work out a schedule for such a visit? We doubt it will ever happen, at least not in the short term.
We send out the press release below on behalf of Open Bethlehem, a new organization started by the mayor of Bethlehem to work on this issue.
Eugene Bird
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Press Release: 3 December 2005
Open Bethlehem
Pope Benedict – First New Citizen of Bethlehem
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI accepted a Bethlehem passport from the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, today (Saturday 3rd December). His Holiness becomes the first new citizen of Bethlehem following the launch of ‘Open Bethlehem’, an international campaign to save the city.
Bethlehem faces a state of emergency following the completion of an 8 metre high illegal cement wall at the entrance to the city that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem and other Palestinian towns. With the Israeli wall and other closures, including militarised fences and illegal Jewish settlements, Bethlehem has been reduced to its urban core: a modern-day ghetto town.
In issuing a passport, Bethlehem is granting citizenship to those who “uphold the values of a just and open society (and) remain a true friend of Bethlehem, through its imprisonment”, according to the passport’s citation.
Leila Sansour- the chief executive of Open Bethlehem is currently in London. She says: “We are appealing to the Pope as well as all citizens of the world to help us uphold the message that was born in our city. Bethlehem- a name that resonates with millions of people around the world with a message of peace and hope for mankind is today an open-air prison. Over 400 entire Christian families have emigrated from the city in the last four years. We cannot allow the depopulation of Bethlehem and the erosion of a 2000 year-old heritage that anchors Christianity in the Middle East”.
The Palestinian delegation included the Palestinian Minister of Tourism Ziad Al Bandak, a native of Bethlehem, who stressed that new developments on the ground are damaging to an already fragile tourist industry as the critical Christmas season approaches.
-ends-
Notes for editors:
· Open Bethlehem was launched by the Mayor of Bethlehem on 9 November, declaring Bethlehem an open city and announcing the issue of a Bethlehem passport.
· Open Bethlehem is a city initiative that aims to promote Bethlehem as a prime destination for tourists, bold initiatives and investment. The core of its message is that Bethlehem is a city of openness and diversity, with a centuries-old tradition of welcoming travellers, refugees and pilgrims from across the world.
For more information and photographs please contact:
Peter Bourne Washington, 202-462-7266
London Office:
Patrick Orr: (44) 207 2225479 M: (44) 7909534430
Charlotte Carson: (44)7768305897 M.
Bethlehem Office:
Carol Dabdoub T. (972) 2 2741241 ext. 2470 M. (972) 545439841
www.openbethlehem.org
Council for the National Interest Foundation
1250 4th Street SW, Suite WG-1
Washington, District of Columbia 20024
http://www.cnionline.org/
http://www.rescuemideastpolicy.com/
posted by Somebody @ 9:05 PM Permanent Link
 
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