RAMALLAH, West Bank — Up until Dec. 23, Samer John Terzi was still hoping to fulfill his kids’ wish of celebrating Christmas at the birthplace of Christ. Every year, Israeli authorities have prevented Terzi and many other Christians from Gaza from visiting Bethlehem at this time of year, citing security reasons.
An estimated 850 to 1,030 Christians reside in Gaza, and those wishing to visit Bethlehem must apply for permits through the Israeli Civil Administration overseeing the West Bank. Kamel Ayyad, head of public relations for the Orthodox Church in Gaza, cited the larger number of Christians, while Hanna Issa, secretary-general of the Islamic-Christian Commission in Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites, provided the smaller figure. According to Issa, the discrepancy likely stems from including Christians of non-Palestinian origins who live in Gaza.
Ayyad said that his church had received the list of people allowed to visit Bethlehem, and of the 950 requests made, 217 were approved. The list, however, did not include a single complete family, Ayyad claimed. The names, he said, had been approved randomly, which means that many of those who received a permit will not be able to use it. Neither Terzi’s name nor those of his three small children — John, Jack and Lamita — was on the list.
“Christians from all over the world visit Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas while we, the people of this land, are denied access to it,” Terzi said.
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