WEST BANK/JERUSALEM: YASSER ARAFAT SAYS HE WILL GO TO BETHLEHEM FOR HIS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS VISIT DESPITE ISRAEL'S REFUSAL TO GRANT HIM PERMISSION

Record ID: 566283

  • Title: WEST BANK/JERUSALEM: YASSER ARAFAT SAYS HE WILL GO TO BETHLEHEM FOR HIS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS VISIT DESPITE ISRAEL'S REFUSAL TO GRANT HIM PERMISSION
  • Date: 22nd December 2001
  • Summary: (U3)BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (DECEMBER 22, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF STREET IN BETHLEHEM 0.04 2. PAN: BULLDOZER, LOADED WITH DEBRIS AND RUBBLE, MOVING ALONG ROAD 0.14 3. WIDE OF PALESTINIAN RESIDENTS AND WORKERS REPAIRING STREET DAMAGED DURING INCURSION BY ISRAELIS 0.16 4. SV; MORE OF WORKERS REPAIRING ROAD AND CLEARING A DITCH BESIDE KERB OF PAVEMENT 0.22 (U3)JERUSALEM (DECEMBER 23, 2001) (REUTERS) 5. MV; ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN DORE GOLD SITTING WITH REPORTERS 0.25 6. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) DORE GOLD SAYING "This is a season of charity around the world, and Israel understands the right for Christians to come to Bethlehem and pray on Christmas Eve and, in fact, Bethlehem will be open for Christmas prayers. "But Yasser Arafat does not demonstrate the same degree of charity when it comes to the lives of Israelis and, right down the block from him in Ramallah, are two Palestinian terrorists who murdered a minister of a democratically elected government of Israel. We are expecting him to act." 0.56 (U3)RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (DECEMBER 23, 2001) (REUTERS) 7. HAS; PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT ARRIVING AT MINISTRY OF EDUCATION 1.03 8. SV: CAMERA OPERATOR FILMING ARAFAT AS HE GOES INSIDE BUILDING 1.05 9. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ARAFAT SAYING "No one can prevent me from going." 1.11 10. SCU: CAMERA OPERATOR FILMING 1.14 11. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ARAFAT SAYING "No one has the right to and despite all weapons that can be used - to prevent these courageous people from attending prayers, whether it is in the Church of Nativity or the Holy Sepulchre." 1.44 (W4)BETHLEHEM (DECEMBER 23, 2001) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) 12. LV/TILT: EXTERIOR OF CHURCH ON MANGER SQUARE (2 SHOTS) 1.52 13. WORSHIPPERS PRAYING AT MASS IN CHURCH OF ST. CATHERINE OFF MANGER SQUARE 14. SV: PRIEST GIVING SERMON IN CHURCH 2.03 15. WS: PEOPLE SITTING IN PEWS OF CHURCH, LISTENING TO PRIEST 2.07 16. MV: NUNS AMONGST CONGREGATION SITTING IN CHURCH LISTENING TO SERMON 2.10 17. SCU: MORE OF PRIEST TALKING 2.13 18. SV: NUN SITTING IN PEW LISTENING TO SERMON 2.17 19. SV: PRIEST AND ALTAR BOY KNEELING IN PRAYER 2.21 20. CLOSEUP OF ALTAR BOYS HAND CARRYING INCENSE-HOLDER 2.25 (W4)BETHLEHEM (DECEMBER 22, 2001) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) 21. WS: ELECTRIC LIGHT DECORATIONS IN MANGER SQUARE 2.31 22. SV: CHILDREN SPEAKING WITH SANTA CLAUS 2.36 23. SLV: ILLUMINATED STEEPLE OF CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY 2.42 24. WIDE SHOT OF MANGER SQUARE 2.48 25. SLV: SHOP IN MANGER SQUARE SELLING CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS 2.54 26. MV: WOMEN WALKING INTO STORE 2.58 27. CU: BLINKING STAR DECORATION 3.03 28. SV: SANTA CLAUS ON STREET RINGING BELL, PASSING CAR STOPS, THEN DRIVES ON 3.14 29. CLOSEUP OF SANTA'S HAND RINGING BELL 3.16 30. LV: ILLUMINATED STEEPLE OF CHURCH 3.21 31. WIDE SHOT OF BETHLEHEM AND ILLUMINATED CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY 3.35 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th January 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RAMALLAH AND BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK / JERUSALEM
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Reuters ID: LVA2KT6T80E6NR0J6PBMY6F7L9R
  • Story Text: A defiant Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has said
    he will go to the West Bank town of Bethlehem for his annual
    Christmas visit, despite Israel's refusal to grant him
    permission to make the trip.

    Meanwhile, Palestinian residents of Bethlehem are praying
    for the elusive peace after more than a year of
    Israeli-Palestinian violence and preparing the city for
    Christmas.



    Israel said on Sunday (December 23) it would bar Arafat
    from making his expected visit to Bethlehem, insisting he
    focus on cracking down on Palestinian militants instead.

    "This is a season of charity around the world and Israel
    understands the right for Christians to come to Bethlehem and
    pray on Christmas Eve and, in fact, Bethlehem will be open for
    Christmas prayers. But Yasser Arafat does not demonstrate the
    same degree of charity when it comes to the lives of Israelis
    and right down the block from him in Ramallah are two
    Palestinian terrorists who murdered a minister of a
    democratically elected government of Israel. We are expecting
    him to act," said Israeli government spokesman Dore Gold.

    However, Arafat told reporters in the West Bank city of
    Ramallah that he would visit the town of Jesus' birth.

    "No one can prevent me from going," the Palestinian leader
    said.

    "No one has the right to and - despite all weapons that
    can be used - to prevent these courageous people from
    attending prayers, whether it is in the Church of Nativity or
    the Holy Sepulchre," Arafat added.

    The 72-year-old leader would have to travel the more than
    20 km (12 miles) through Israeli-controlled West Bank terrain
    to reach Bethlehem from his Ramallah headquarters to the
    north.

    Arafat has been isolated since Israel destroyed his
    personal helicopters in the Gaza Strip and stationed tanks
    near his Ramallah office after a Palestinian attack on a
    Israeli bus near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank killed
    10 people on December 12.

    A practising Muslim, Arafat has attended Christmas Eve
    services at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity since the town
    came under Palestinian rule in 1995.

    The thousands of tourists and pilgrims that once filled
    the city for the celebration of Jesus' birth are not coming,
    scared off after fighting in Bethlehem between Israelis and
    Palestinians during the 15-month Palestinian uprising.

    Nevertheless, the people of Bethlehem prayed for peace on
    Sunday (December 23) and electric lights came on in the
    ancient town.

    Besides thinking of mass, lights and tinsel, the priority
    for city authorities is patching up streets and re-erecting
    signposts smashed when Israeli armour rolled into Bethlehem in
    October after Palestinian militants assassinated an Israeli
    cabinet minister in retaliation for Israel's killing of their
    leader.

    Israel has since pulled back its troops to Bethlehem's
    outskirts.

    Israel, along with the United States and the European
    Union, have put pressure on Arafat to crack down on militant
    groups behind a wave of suicide bombings in Israel.

    The Palestinian Authority has said it has arrested dozens
    of militants. Six people were killed and more than 80 wounded
    in a Gaza gun battle that erupted between Palestinian police
    and militants angered by the arrests.

    Before the clashes on Friday (December 21), the militant
    Hamas movement said it was halting attacks in Israel until
    further notice in the interests of Palestinian unity.

    Officials of Islamic Jihad put out mixed signals about whether
    the group would follow suit.

    But Israel claims the announcements were part of a secret
    deal with Arafat to avoid his crackdown.

    Palestinian officials did not know of alternate plans for
    Arafat to arrive in Bethlehem, but said that diplomatic
    efforts were under way to sway the Israeli decision.


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