The Arab press tends to treat the Israeli ban on PLO leader Yasser Arafat?s trip to Bethlehem for Christmas as an opportunity to liken the PLO leader to the persecuted Jesus from the Christian Bible.
A London-based Arabic newspaper, Asharq al-Awsat, calls the Arafat ban an act ? of such meanness or savagery that all the Zionists spin doctors in the world cannot downgrade their awfulness.? It is, according to the London paper, akin to what it calls the ?gunning down of a cowering child, in front of one of the world?s best conflict photographers?? The leaders of the world, the editorial says, demanded that Israel reverse its decision and a ?Sharon spokesman was left lamely defending the Arafat Bethlehem travel ban, by saying that the Israelis still wanted the Palestinian Authority to hand over militants responsible for specific attacks.?
The Christian community of Gaza ?canceled Christmas festivities? due to the ?sad situation? in the occupied territories and in solidarity with President Arafat,? according to WAFA, the official news agency of the Palestinian Authority. The priest of the Gaza Latin Church, Manuel Musallam, told WAFA that ?Holding a mass in the afternoon rather than at midnight tells people: 'Pray and go home, because there is neither peace nor stability and there is no joy in the streets and Bethlehem is off limits to our beloved President Arafat.?
One of the Christian worshipers entering the church is quoted by WAFA as saying: ?How is the world going to celebrate Christmas while the Church of the Nativity is under occupation and the homeland of Jesus is bleeding, and there is no peace in the land of peace? Mr. President determination to go to Bethlehem even on foot reminded us of Jesus? Jesus had suffered at the hands of the Jews and we and our President are facing the same now.?
A Jordan Times editorial, entitled ?Chutzpah or plain stupidity??, characterizes the confrontation between Israel and Arafat over the Bethlehem visit as the question of ?whether an ageing and ailing president, representing the long-oppressed people of the Holy Land, will manage to fulfill his desire to be in the birthplace of Jesus, against the arrogance of a much mightier occupying power.? The Times editorial promotes the false premise that Israel denied Arafat ?his legitimate right to attend... mass on grounds that he is not Christian.? Thus, the Times editor declares, ?As always, Arafat must know that he can count on the unconditional support of His Majesty King Abdullah and Jordan for the advancement of the Palestinian cause.?
Meanwhile, in Cairo, the WAFA news agency covered an Islamic-Christian dialogue conference earlier this week, reportedly organized by an Arab forum for Islamic-Christian dialogue and the Middle East Council of Churches. The conference ?stressed a unified Arab stand of followers of both religions in defending all Arab just causes, namely rejection of the Israeli occupation and having Holy Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state.? In an apparent pre-Christmas effort to emphasize Christian support for the PA war against Israel, WAFA quoted Riad Gargour, Secretary-General of the Middle East Council of Churches, as saying, ?Muslims and Christians have a common civilization and enter wars together in defense of their homeland against invaders and colonialists??
A London-based Arabic newspaper, Asharq al-Awsat, calls the Arafat ban an act ? of such meanness or savagery that all the Zionists spin doctors in the world cannot downgrade their awfulness.? It is, according to the London paper, akin to what it calls the ?gunning down of a cowering child, in front of one of the world?s best conflict photographers?? The leaders of the world, the editorial says, demanded that Israel reverse its decision and a ?Sharon spokesman was left lamely defending the Arafat Bethlehem travel ban, by saying that the Israelis still wanted the Palestinian Authority to hand over militants responsible for specific attacks.?
The Christian community of Gaza ?canceled Christmas festivities? due to the ?sad situation? in the occupied territories and in solidarity with President Arafat,? according to WAFA, the official news agency of the Palestinian Authority. The priest of the Gaza Latin Church, Manuel Musallam, told WAFA that ?Holding a mass in the afternoon rather than at midnight tells people: 'Pray and go home, because there is neither peace nor stability and there is no joy in the streets and Bethlehem is off limits to our beloved President Arafat.?
One of the Christian worshipers entering the church is quoted by WAFA as saying: ?How is the world going to celebrate Christmas while the Church of the Nativity is under occupation and the homeland of Jesus is bleeding, and there is no peace in the land of peace? Mr. President determination to go to Bethlehem even on foot reminded us of Jesus? Jesus had suffered at the hands of the Jews and we and our President are facing the same now.?
A Jordan Times editorial, entitled ?Chutzpah or plain stupidity??, characterizes the confrontation between Israel and Arafat over the Bethlehem visit as the question of ?whether an ageing and ailing president, representing the long-oppressed people of the Holy Land, will manage to fulfill his desire to be in the birthplace of Jesus, against the arrogance of a much mightier occupying power.? The Times editorial promotes the false premise that Israel denied Arafat ?his legitimate right to attend... mass on grounds that he is not Christian.? Thus, the Times editor declares, ?As always, Arafat must know that he can count on the unconditional support of His Majesty King Abdullah and Jordan for the advancement of the Palestinian cause.?
Meanwhile, in Cairo, the WAFA news agency covered an Islamic-Christian dialogue conference earlier this week, reportedly organized by an Arab forum for Islamic-Christian dialogue and the Middle East Council of Churches. The conference ?stressed a unified Arab stand of followers of both religions in defending all Arab just causes, namely rejection of the Israeli occupation and having Holy Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state.? In an apparent pre-Christmas effort to emphasize Christian support for the PA war against Israel, WAFA quoted Riad Gargour, Secretary-General of the Middle East Council of Churches, as saying, ?Muslims and Christians have a common civilization and enter wars together in defense of their homeland against invaders and colonialists??