Contributed by CAFOD on 12.11.2020:
Bethlehem, like other Palestinian communities in the West Bank, faces many challenges.
The neighbouring Israeli settlements – illegal under international humanitarian law – encroach upon Palestinian land, the separation barrier restricts freedom of movement and the farmers’ lands are sometimes made inaccessible by r(...)
Contributed by Toine Van Teeffelen on 10.07.2020:
“The Covid-19 crisis is one of the most important things I’ve experienced in life. I felt a responsibility to support the people in my village,” says Faten from, Artas in the occupied Palestinian territory. Faten is 29 and a mother of one. She works as a kindergarten teacher and also volunteers at the Arab Educational Institute (AEI) in Bethlehem, a CAFOD partner.
Contributed by This Week In Palestine on 31.05.2019:
In late October, a group of 30 local young women launched the “Artas Deserves to Be Beautiful” advocacy campaign in Artas, a village to the south of Bethlehem. They wanted to solve the waste problem in the village. One participant relates, “I used to read slogans such as ‘After failure comes success!’ or ‘When there is determination, we can reach our goals.’ I did not(...)
Contributed by Toine Van Teeffelen on 19.12.2018:
Toine van Teeffelen
Bethlehem
19/12/2018
Een paar weken geleden, het was een rustige ochtend, wachtte ik op het einde van de Armeense mis in de Geboortegrot. Samen met gasten zat ik een uur lang op de toegangstrap. We ervaarden de tijdloosheid van de Kerst in het langzame, ritmische gezang van de priesters.
Gisteren, ter gelegenheid van Mary's verjaardag, bezochten(...)
Contributed by Toine Van Teeffelen on 19.12.2018:
Toine van Teeffelen
19/12/2018
During a quiet morning a few weeks ago I waited for a mass by Armenian priests in the Nativity Grotto to end. Together with guests I sat for an hour on the entrance stairs. We experienced the timelessness of Christmas through the slow, rhythmic singing of the priests.
Yesterday, at the occasion of Mary’s birthday, Mary and I visited a mass i(...)
Contributed by Toine Van Teeffelen on 18.11.2018:
Toine van Teeffelen
It is now more than ever imperative for Palestinians to stay connected to their land and culture. In view of the continuous and deepening Israeli colonization – settlement-building, legal measures, infrastructure development, economic integration into Israel – it is essential to defend and develop Palestinian society and its communities against further fragmentation(...)
Contributed by Toine Van Teeffelen on 28.09.2018:
Toine van Teeffelen
Bethlehem 28/9/2018
Deze dinsdag werd de burgemeester van Bethlehem, Anton Salman, aangevallen met een mes. Hij had een diepe wond in zijn rechterwang die moest worden gehecht. Het had nog erger kunnen zijn als het mes hoger of lager was geland. De aanvaller was iemand uit het Hebrongebied die kennelijk gemotiveerd was door wraak omdat hij geen vergunning kre(...)
Contributed by Toine Van Teeffelen on 28.09.2018:
Toine van Teeffelen
Bethlehem
28/9/2018
This Tuesday the mayor of Bethlehem, Anton Salman, was attacked with a knife. He got a deep wound in his right cheek that had to be stitched. It could have been even worse if the knife had landed higher or lower. The attacker was somebody from the Hebron area apparently motivated by revenge, as he did not receive a permit to sell co(...)
Contributed by Mateo Garcia Wagüi Bandak on 13.07.2018:
Hello I'm looking for the proper translation of our last name, which was translated to "Wagüi". Our family spreads across central america specifically Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa RIca & El Salvador. My family is also tied into Bandak & Abu-Rdene. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Contributed by Toine Van Teeffelen on 15.05.2018:
It often happens that we are questioned here in Bethlehem and Palestine whether there is still hope. To be honest, I do not always feel comfortable with that question. Of course there is very little optimism about a just peace agreement in the near future. Rather, the opposite is the case: people here expect the situation to deteriorate. A peace agreement, if it comes, will be for the childre(...)