Between old fears and new hopes, celebrating Advent in Bethlehem 30 November, 2004 PALESTINE Bethlehem (AsiaNews/Agencies)

Bethlehem (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Never like this year has the time of Advent been so charged with hope and expectations in the birthplace of Jesus. People are tired of war and look with hope to the emergence of a new Palestinian leadership that might bring peace to the Holy Land.

Even though the memory of the late Arafat, Palestine’s charismatic leader, is still alive in the hearts of Palestinians, people reproach him for “Palestinians’ international isolation” and his “incapacity to bring peace to the territories”. Instead, “I hope Abu Mazen can reopen doors to the world for us, help us breathe again,” said Bethlehem merchant Nasser Allawi.

The wall Israel is building in the West Bank to stop terrorist attacks cuts into part of Bethlehem whilst Jewish settlements are growing on the hills around, compounding the shrine town’s sense of isolation and neglect. Among the faithful gathered in the Basilica of the Nativity hope for a new era of peace” has also not disappeared altogether. According to some residents, the “atmosphere is more relaxed after almost a year free of serious violence”. It has been quiet for some time, and “we have already been seeing a modest recovery in visitors”.

Some were heartened by a meeting last week, the first in over four years, between the Palestinian and Israeli tourism ministers, who agreed to make it easier for pilgrims to visit Bethlehem. The two also appealed to Christians to visit the Holy Land.

Others are counting on Abu Mazen, a Muslim, to come to the Church of the Nativity's to celebrate Christmas Eve mass. “If Abu Mazen comes, it will help show the world that Bethlehem is safe again for tourism,” said Yusuf Allawi, who co-manages the family souvenir store with his brother Nasser.

Other residents are more cautious about the future. “Things here have a way of being 'decided', then suddenly there's an explosion and we’re back to square one,” said Shukri Dallal, a food retailer. “All we can do is pray that our new leaders lead us towards peace, so we can work and come and go like normal people”.

JERUSALEM'S CATHOLIC HOSPITAL WINS PAPAL PRAISE VATICAN CITY, NOV. 21, 2004 (Zenit.org)

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 21, 2004 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II encouraged the service to "human dignity" offered by St. Joseph's Hospital, the only such Catholic facility in Jerusalem.

The Pope expressed his gratitude Saturday when receiving in audience the members of the hospital's international board of trustees.

"I take this opportunity to encourage you, and all associated with the work of the hospital, always to give the best of yourselves in generous service to the sick, with the greatest respect for their human dignity and their unique value in the eyes of God," the Holy Father said when welcoming his guests.

"I appreciate the praiseworthy sense of solidarity and concern for the needs of the Palestinian community which led to the establishment of St. Joseph's as the only Catholic hospital in Jerusalem," he added in his English-language address. "May the hospital continue to find moral and material support both in the Holy Land and abroad."

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We shall stop those who engage in violence in order to hold peaceful elections, Abu Mazen says Palestinian Christian lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi says integrity of Palestinian Christians’ identity must be protected. 20 November, 2004 PALESTINE - ISRAEL Ramallah (AsiaNews)

Ramallah (AsiaNews) – The new chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation Mahmoud Abbas (aka Abu Mazen) vowed to crack down on armed groups operating in Palestinian areas in order to smooth the way for a January 9 presidential election to find a successor to Yasser Arafat. “We have to move on to a new era,” he said and “we will act firmly against anyone who violates the law so that we can make the citizens feel secure.”

Mr Abbas also urged Israel to halt “aggressive” military action in the West Bank and Gaza to help him restore order before the January 9 vote.

In the last few days, he has held talks with militant factions that have so far produced no agreement on suspending suicide bombings and other attacks on Israelis. Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad did give verbal assurances that they would work to restore internal order. Never the less, Mr Abbas’s leeway is still restricted by some militants’ accusations that he is a stooge of Israel for opposing the violence of the second intifada.

Speaking to AsiaNews about the post-Arafat era, Christian lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi said: “We are trying to fill the void left by the disappearance of a symbol like Arafat with political institutions and the rule of law”. Although the “current situation is critical with factions vying for power”, Ms Ashrawi said she was confident that there was a “widespread desire in the Palestinian body politic to build a democratic framework”. More importantly, once elected on January 9, the new Palestinian leader will be under the scrutiny of public opinion and judged based “on his performance”.

With regards to Israel, she rejects the use of terrorism. “We must,” she said, “take the political road in order to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict based on negotiations in accordance with international law and justice.”

Speaking about the status of Palestinian Christians, who are increasingly marginalised by the rising tide of Islamic fundamentalism and affected by a high emigration rate, Ms Ashrawi said “Palestinian Christians are the oldest Christians in the world and their identity must be protected in Palestinian society.” (SQ - LF)

Jerusalem patriarch says Arafat helped Christians Jerusalem, Nov. 12 (CWNews.com)

Jerusalem, Nov. 12 (CWNews.com) - The Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem hopes that future Palestinian leaders will not show hostility toward the Christian presence in the Palestinian territories.

Patriarch Michel Sabbah, speaking about the prospects for Christians after the death of Yasser Arafat, told a Vatican Radio audience that the deceased Palestinian leader had "paid special attention to the Christian presence, the churches, and Christian Palestinians." He cited the "many gestures" that Arafat had made to indicate his support for the Christian presence, particularly his regular attendance at Christmas Mass in Bethlehem.

The Latin-rite patriarch said that Arafat had occasionally intervened in disputes between Christian and Muslim leaders, particularly in Bethlehem, to defuse clashes and to "restore equilibrium in relations." Arafat had opposed the construction of a mosque in Bethlehem on grounds abutting the historic basilica of the Nativity. "He took a very clear position" in that conflict, the patriarch recalled.

Patriarch Sabbah, himself a Palestinian, said that Arafat's meetings with Pope John Paul II (bio - news) had helped to "open the eyes of the world." By meeting with the Palestinian leader, he said, the Pontiff had "recognize him as the leader of a people, and thus recognized the rights of those people." Today, he said, "the while world-- even Israel and American-- recognizes that there will be a Palestinian state."

Adding his praise for the deceased Palestinian, the patriarch said that in Arafat's vision, "Palestine was not just the land of the Palestinians or the Israelis, but also belonged to the whole world, because of the presence of the holy Christian shrines." He said that he hoped "that universal vision, which goes beyond nationalism, will continue with the leaders who take his place."

CHRISTIANS IN PALESTINE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR FUTURE Analysis of Correspondent in the Holy Land JERUSALEM, NOV. 12, 2004 (Zenit.org)

JERUSALEM, NOV. 12, 2004 (Zenit.org).- While Yasser Arafat's burial was taking place in the Mukata of Ramallah, Christians of the Palestinian territories were wondering about their future.

Having become a small minority -- 50,000 in the midst of more than 3 million Muslims --, the death of the president of the Palestinian National Authority has come at a time when the political, administrative, and police structures often discriminate against them," explained Graziano Motta, correspondent in the Holy Land of Vatican Radio and of the Italian newspaper Avvenire.

"They have been continually exposed to pressures by Muslim activists and have been forced to profess fidelity to the intifada," the journalist reported.

"Frequently, there are cases in which the Muslims expropriate houses and lands belonging to Catholics, and often the intervention of the authorities has been lacking in addressing acts of violence against young women or offenses against the Christian faith," Motta indicated.

On several occasions, His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who headed the Holy See delegation at Arafat's funeral, personally asked the deceased leader to intervene, and had established with him "a friendly and direct relationship," he continued.

"On occasions he intervened in some discussions between Christians and Muslims, especially in the region of Bethlehem, to proffer a solution and redress relations," the patriarch himself said on Thursday on Vatican Radio. However, he did not always succeed as sometimes Arafat could not count on the obedience of the men of his apparatus.

"Arafat leaves Christians, and Catholics in particular, an ambiguous and potentially negative heritage in regard to long-term relations with the state entity," he added.

"Considering Christians a part of the Arab socio-political reality in the struggle for independence, he tried to involve them as much as possible, exalting Palestine as Holy Land due to the presence of holy sites for Muslims and Christians, but without ever mentioning the Jews," he said.

"And he ignored -- and in practice boycotted -- the proposal of a special status for the Jewish, Christians, and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. In the name of Islam, he was firm in his claim for Palestine's exclusive sovereignty over the Holy City (Al-Quds)."

"He approved the draft of a Constitutional Charter for the future Palestinian state which did not take into account the secular and plural characteristic (that he said he promoted) to affirm the Muslim character," the correspondent noted.

"This is in potential contradiction with the commitments assumed in the Basic Agreement between the Holy See and the Palestine Liberation Organization in 2000, which he promoted to imitate the Fundamental Agreement of 1993 between the Holy See and Israel," he stressed.

This agreement "affirms the equality of all citizens, regardless of their religious faith, and respect of their freedom of religion and conscience."

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Priest in Ramallah: "Funeral bells and a Mass for Arafat" Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades: we will avenge this Zionist assassination. 11 November, 2004 PALESTINE Ramallah (AsiaNews)

Ramallah (AsiaNews) - Christians in Ramallah were “saddened” by the news of the death of Palestinian President Arafat. Last night Christians and Muslims gathered in Ramallah for a candlelight vigil to pray for the Palestinian president. The pastor of the Latin-rite Holy Family Parish, Father Ibrahim Hijazin, told AsiaNews, “the funeral knell of our church will toll all day for our President".

After Arafat's burial on Saturday in Ramallah, Catholics there will celebrate a Mass in his memory. "People are very sad here," Fr. Hijazin said, "President Arafat had dedicated his life to independence and the creation of a Palestinian state. It's too bad that he will be buried here in Ramallah, where he had been holed up, and not where he would have liked: Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Authority has declared a 40-day period of mourning across the Palestinian territories to mark the death of veteran leader Yasser Arafat.

Private businesses are to close for three days and public institutions for seven days, but a general mourning will last for 40 days during which flags will remain at half mast and all festivals will be cancelled.

The militant Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades urged militants to attack Israel to avenge the "Zionist assassination" of Yasser Arafat. "Zionist Israel and the government of [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon are responsible for the assassination of our leader by putting him under siege. This crime will not go without punishment” the statement said.

Some Israeli personalities express their comments on Arafat’s death: "I hated him for the deaths of Israelis ... I hated him for not allowing the peace process ... to move forward," Justice Minister Yosef Lapid told Israel Radio. "It is one of the tragedies of the world that he didn't understand that the terror that began here would spread to the entire world," he added. Israeli opposition leader Shimon Peres said, "There is no doubt that with the death of Yasser Arafat an era has ended ... for good or bad."

Jerusalem patriarch says Arafat helped Christians Jerusalem, Nov. 12 (CWNews.com)

Jerusalem, Nov. 12 (CWNews.com) - The Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem hopes that future Palestinian leaders will not show hostility toward the Christian presence in the Palestinian territories.

Patriarch Michel Sabbah, speaking about the prospects for Christians after the death of Yasser Arafat, told a Vatican Radio audience that the deceased Palestinian leader had "paid special attention to the Christian presence, the churches, and Christian Palestinians." He cited the "many gestures" that Arafat had made to indicate his support for the Christian presence, particularly his regular attendance at Christmas Mass in Bethlehem.

The Latin-rite patriarch said that Arafat had occasionally intervened in disputes between Christian and Muslim leaders, particularly in Bethlehem, to defuse clashes and to "restore equilibrium in relations." Arafat had opposed the construction of a mosque in Bethlehem on grounds abutting the historic basilica of the Nativity. "He took a very clear position" in that conflict, the patriarch recalled.

Patriarch Sabbah, himself a Palestinian, said that Arafat's meetings with Pope John Paul II (bio - news) had helped to "open the eyes of the world." By meeting with the Palestinian leader, he said, the Pontiff had "recognize him as the leader of a people, and thus recognized the rights of those people." Today, he said, "the while world-- even Israel and American-- recognizes that there will be a Palestinian state."

Adding his praise for the deceased Palestinian, the patriarch said that in Arafat's vision, "Palestine was not just the land of the Palestinians or the Israelis, but also belonged to the whole world, because of the presence of the holy Christian shrines." He said that he hoped "that universal vision, which goes beyond nationalism, will continue with the leaders who take his place."