Gunmen storm city hall in biblical Bethlehem
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades members demand jobs, leave peacefully

BETHLEHEM, West Bank - Palestinian gunmen briefly seized Bethlehem city hall, overlooking the Church of the Nativity, on Tuesday in a jarring interruption to Christmas preparations in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

The incident, five days before Christmas, was another sign of growing lawlessness in Palestinian territories and the turmoil within Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction ahead of a January parliamentary election.

About 20 gunmen from Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades fanned out on rooftops and in the offices of city hall, firing several shots in the air and forcing workers out. They demanded money and jobs for about 320 members. The rest


Bethlehem: A Calculated Risk
By Judy Lash Balint
FrontPageMagazine.com
December 21, 2005

The Christmas season is upon us in the Holy Land. Here, in the birthplace of Christianity, Christmas extends for a full season, not just one day. After the Catholics and western churches celebrate December 25, the holy day for Greek Orthodox adherents is December 7th, followed by the Armenian celebration of Christmas on January 19th.

Naturally, Bethlehem is the focal point of all the Christmas festivities, and once again this year, Israeli authorities have pledged to do their utmost to ensure free passage of Christian pilgrims in and out of the town in honor of the season. The rest