December 2007

Bethlehem Encircled

By Henry Norr, November 12, 2007

It is unconscionable that Bethlehem should be allowed to die slowly from strangulation.

—Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 2005

Bethlehem at Christmas time – by now it’s an old chestnut for Middle East reporters. Every December, you can find feature stories about the city of Jesus’ birth in mainstream media outlets across the Western world – publications that have, in most cases, reported nothing about the place since the previous holiday season.