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There will be no star over Bethlehem this Christmas. The Israeli flag, which has flown over Manger Square for 28 years, was lowered yesterday for the last time, as the town was handed over to the Palestinian self-rule authority. ...
A Christian Palestinian lights candles at the Church of Nativity in the biblical West Bank town of Bethlehem in December 2004. Photograph:
There will be no star over Bethlehem this Christmas. The Israeli flag, which has flown over Manger Square for 28 years, was lowered yesterday for the last time, as the town was handed over to the Palestinian self-rule authority.
The Star of David was in any case reduced to insignificance in the end; a solitary splash of blue and white in a sea of Palestinian red, green, white and black. As the last small contingent of paramilitary forces moved out, Manger Square was filled with wildly celebrating crowds. But the handover was orderly, even cordial.
Last year the mayor of Bethlehem threatened to cancel Christmas because the Israelis would not let him fly one small Palestinian flag from the town hall. Now, the hall and most neighbouring buildings are all but obliterated by the national colours.
Three giant flags hang over the square, along with a gargantuan and cross-eyed cartoon of Yasser Arafat. Across the front of the Church of the Nativity, two rows of bunting depict the birth of Jesus in the style beloved of Hindi film poster artists.
The Palestine Liberation Organisation leader is expected to attend Christmas mass on Sunday evening or Monday ? nobody knows for sure. Just as yesterday, nobody quite knew when the Israelis would leave the police station opposite the church.
All day long the square was frantic with aimless activity, as excited crowds milled around, composed, it seemed, in equal parts, of Palestinian patriots, a regiment of media persons, and bewildered tourists.
From early morning, the Israeli presence in the town - the latest of six in the West Bank to be evacuated by Israeli occupation forces - had been reduced to a handful of paramilitary police. In the police station yard, half a dozen jeeps lined up ready for the final pullout. On the outside a thick crust of spectators responded gleefully to every military movement.
There were sporadic distractions: a brief march of girl guides; an outbreak of Palestinian male dancing; some blaring pop music, and a disco peal from the church belfry in decidedly non-ecclesiastical rhythm. Part of the crowd chatted, with every appearance of friendliness, to the police in the station yard. The cafes around the square did terrific business along with the perambulating coffee sellers and vendors of Palestinian flags. The purveyors of Bethlehem kitsch were less lucky.
"Not a shekel all day," moaned a shopkeeper behind his array of tatty keyrings, crucifixes, phials of holy water, and olivewood nativity scenes. Bethlehem remains, as ever, an ecumenical emporium of gaudy goods; Jewish mementoes nestle among the gypsum Jesus dolls, with or without brass haloes .
There has been speculation that the coming of the PLO to Bethlehem will speed the exodus of Christians from the West Bank. But there was little sign of rivalry yesterday. Samir Sharer, one local Christian, said he was convinced that this year's Christmas would be joyful. "Everything will be OK ? no problem, no fights," he said, before rather spoiling the effect by saying he would spend the holiday in Israel.
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Historic articles from the Guardian archive, compiled by the Guardian research and information department (follow us on Twitter @guardianlibrary). For further coverage from the past, take a look at the Guardian & Observer digital archive, which contains every issue of both newspapers from their debut to 2000 - 1.2m items, fully searchable and viewable online Previous:
Yasser Arafat will attempt to make his annual Christmas visit to Bethlehem today in defiance of an Israeli ban, Palestinian officials said last night.
Israeli forces invaded the West Bank town of Hebron this morning, reportedly killing nine Palestinians, while in Bethlehem a Palestinian gunmen holed up in the Church of the Nativity was shot dead by Israeli snipers.
This article appeared in the Guardian on Thursday 22 December 2011. It was published on guardian.co.uk at 11.53 GMT on Thursday 22 December 2011. It was last modified at 12.32 GMT on Thursday 22 December 2011. EmailClose Recipient's email address Your first name Your surname Add a note (optional)
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This article appeared in the Guardian on Thursday 22 December 2011. It was published on guardian.co.uk at 11.53 GMT on Thursday 22 December 2011. It was last modified at 12.32 GMT on Thursday 22 December 2011.