Christians flee Palestinian areas, seek to settle abroad
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Thursday, October 26, 2000
RAMALLAH — Christians are fleeing Palestinian areas amid the
mini-war with Israel.
Both Israeli and Palestinian sources said hundreds of Christians have left their
communities in such cities as Bethlehem, Gaza, Nablus, Ramallah, and
Tulkarm. They said the Christians seek to escape the violence and resettle
abroad.
The Palestinian sources said that Islamic fundamentalists have used the
violence to threaten Christians. This has been especially true in Gaza and
Nablus, a West Bank city with a militant fundamentalist movement.
Israeli officials said the PA is trying to trap Christians in the
current mini-war with Israel in an effort to garner support from the West.
The officials said Arafat has apparently concluded that the prospect of
Christians in danger will attract massive international support.
The flight appears most pronounced in the Bethlehem area, where
Christian communities have been cut in the crossfire of Israeli-Palestinian
shootouts. Nearly nightly, Palestinian gunmen loyal to Palestinian Authority
Chairman Yasser Arafat have been using the Christian village of Bet Jallah
to snipe at neighboring Jerusalem.
In response, Israel has fired missiles at the snipers.
The sources said the Christians are being helped by Western embassies.
They are taken to Israel and then helped with visas, passports or even
tickets to resettle abroad.
On Wednesday, Israeli and Palestinian commanders were expected to meet
in another attempt to renew cooperation. Earlier, an Israeli envoy of Prime
Minister Ehud Barak, Yossi Ginossar, met Arafat and his security chiefs to
plan on a renewal of security cooperation.