Bethlehem University graduate, Adnan Barq ’21, was a main TED speaker at the official TEDinArabic Summit that was held on 18-19 March 2023 in Doha, Qatar under the theme “The Butterfly Effect”. Barq’s TED Talk was entitled “Coping with Intergenerational Trauma”.

Barq, who holds a BA in English Language and Literature, is a Palestinian storyteller and content creator who was born in Jerusalem. With more than 150,000 followers on Instagram, he gives his audience a glimpse into the systematic dehumanization and demonization of Palestinians under Israeli occupation.

For more information, visit the Bethlehem University webpage:
https://www.bethlehem.edu/2023/03/27/bethlehem-university-graduate-at-tedinarabic-summit/

The Bethlehem Cultural Festival is a virtual celebration of Bethlehem’s rich and diverse cultural scene through music, film, cookery, dance and discussion.

We are really pleased that Open Bethlehem is appearing as part of this year's festival. The festival will run from 3-7 December 2020. 

On Sunday 6 December 2020, Open Bethlehem will be screened: 

https://www.bethlehemculturalfestival.com/events/open-bethlehem/

Afterwards Sir Vincent Fean will be in conversation with the director of Open Bethlehem, Leila Sansour. 

https://www.bethlehemculturalfestival.com/events/open-bethlehem-discussion/

​On Monday 7 December, historian Jacob Norris and Leila Sansour talk about the soon-to-be launch of an online archive of the city.  This is accompanied by a photo display and a Q&A with Mandy Turner.

https://www.bethlehemculturalfestival.com/events/planet-bethlehem-unexpected-tales-from-a-small-town/

​It was moving to know you are visiting and praying on the spot where the Saviour was born, but shocking to see the ‘little town of Bethlehem’ surrounded by a menacing nine meter high concrete wall topped with barbed wire and watch towers.  Israel says the wall is needed for its security but the result has been a dramatic isolation of Bethlehem, an isolation that threatens the life and the future of its communities.  

The Wall
The visit brought back to me other trips I made over the years to the once divided Germany and wider Warsaw Pact nations and also to parts of the divided island of my native Ireland. Those images of isolation and divide never left me.  Yet at the same time my pilgrimage to Bethlehem filled me with a sense of real optimism knowing that much like the German and the Irish walls, this Israeli wall in the heart of the Holy Land will inevitably fall one day and divided communities on both sides would be reunited.
​

​Archbishop’s words
I remember too being so moved by another of our Order’s senior ecumenical knights, Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu who said of Leila’s work “Open Bethlehem is a nonviolent attempt to save a city that belongs to many in the world. It is unconscionable that Bethlehem should be allowed to die slowly from strangulation.” I cannot agree more with his sentiment and I am very keen to share with you here Leila’s account of Bethlehem in recent months as the city comes out of one lockdown, an experience shared around the world, into another one that it has to endure on its own- that of an iconic city besieged and kept away from the eyes of the world.
 
I very much hope that her account will move you, just like it moved me to do everything you can to support this very worthy project and help us promote the interests of Bethlehem at a time when the city needs us most.

The Open Bethlehem project came as a response to the building of the Israeli wall around Bethlehem. The wall was and remains an enormous challenge to a city that has shaped its life by being open to the outside world and whose economic life is so reliant on tourism.  As I say in my film “If Jesus was born in your town, you would have no choice”. Throughout history, even during dangerous times, people would come, and we learnt to welcome them.  If you consider that most hotels, souvenir shops and restaurants in Bethlehem belong to Christians families (historically the city’s majority), you will realise how precarious the future of the Christian community is in Bethlehem. At the start of any economic or political unrest they are the first to leave simply because they can still afford to.  Who would stay in a city without a future?!

Bethlehem keeps me worried 
So, I hope you understand what I mean when I say Bethlehem keeps me worried. The most recent lockdown was announced there early, on 5 March. A few Greek tourists tested positive for the coronavirus upon their return home from Bethlehem and the city was immediately put on high alert.  There simply was no capacity whatsoever to deal with any such threats. Bethlehem has only 4 ICU units. Few days later, all roads in and out of Bethlehem were locked. All tourist sites, all hotels and all public institutions including schools and universities had to shut down.  Bethlehem had barely come out of a long period of depression and isolation so this was truly unbearable news.

It was remarkable, nevertheless, to see yet again, how resourceful my city proved to be in critical situations. The municipalities sprang into action. People pulled together. The CARITAS hospital in Bethlehem learnt how to do the testing. Hebron, a neighbouring town, quickly turned three factories to manufacturing protective personal equipment and a number of institutions continued teaching and conducting business online albeit at a fraction of their normal productivity- just like everywhere else.  The Nativity church – the site marking the birth place of Jesus Christ, also went online allowing everyone to access Sunday mass while its actual doors remained closed.

What now for Bethlehem?! 
At some point, it seemed that Bethlehem has managed to contain the virus. Three weeks ago, only  60 cases have been detected- all have recovered. But, with the recent opening of the town, the problem has resurfaced. Coming out is a huge health gamble for Bethlehem but the city can no longer sustain the lockdown.  A large percent of the population lead a hand to mouth existence. Many of those who are in a slightly better position work in the tourism sector, which, due to current restrictions on international movement and flights, is not likely to begin the journey to recovery for at least two years.

It feels monstrous, at a time like this, that we also have to face the prospect of Israel’s decision to annex large chunks of the West Bank leaving us even more impoverished and disconnected.  The process has already started brutally and at pace. Never mind a pandemic, our more fundamental challenges, our abject isolation now rise so acutely in front of our eyes. No matter how the chapter with the disease ends, we will still remain behind a wall, under military occupation, with no control over our resources or the running of our economy. We will still remain a city without a future.  

It is times like these that remind us why we started Open Bethlehem and it is, at times like these, that we turn to you for support. We need to educate our friends around the world and people in positions of influence about the dangers we face. We need to help everyone understand the urgency and the need to work together to change the tide.

We appeal to you!
We want to preserve Bethlehem’s heritage. We want to remain an open city that symbolises “Joy and Goodwill to all” and, when you come to visit us, we want you to be able to celebrate mass with a vibrant indigenous Christian community that keeps churches alive so that you know you are visiting The Holy Land, not a biblical Disneyland. 

We hope that this reminder might spark something in your heart and that you will take some time to find out more about Open Bethlehem and our work and that, just like Anthony Bailey, you would consider partnering with us and becoming a supporter of Open Bethlehem’s vital work in these challenging times.For more information on the work of Open Bethlehem please visit openbethlehem.org and for more information on the Constantinian Order please visit constantinian.org.uk . You can donat to Open Bethlehem here. ​

The Wall
The visit brought back to me other trips I made over the years to the once divided Germany and wider Warsaw Pact nations and also to parts of the divided island of my native Ireland. Those images of isolation and divide never left me.  Yet at the same time my pilgrimage to Bethlehem filled me with a sense of real optimism knowing that much like the German and the Irish walls, this Israeli wall in the heart of the Holy Land will inevitably fall one day and divided communities on both sides would be reunited.

Easter 2020 in Bethlehem under lock down. The holy light is brought from Jerusalem, according to tradition. Due to the restrictions the light was delivered and left outside of people's homes to the chant "Christ has Risen!". 
Photo by Muaya Alayan.
​

Future of Christian Community 
One lady whom I met on that journey was Leila Sansour. She inspired me to look closer and deeper at what was around me. She was well placed to do so as she comes from one of the oldest Roman Catholic families in Bethlehem who can trace their roots back more than 500 years.  For her Bethlehem is not only holy, it is also home. Yet, the more I listened to her stories the more I realized how precarious she felt her future is in this land. It will take a lot for the Christian community to survive the challenge.  

But, she was not going to give up. She told me, how in 2005, while working on a film about Bethlehem, she had also founded and launched Open Bethlehem – an organisation which works to encourage greater international engagement with the city to help preserve its heritage and communities. 

The project seeks to build global support for the city through a network of ambassadors, honorary citizens, who pledge to work to give Bethlehem a greater voice and help raise awareness about the challenges it faces today. On my part, it felt wonderful to be able to support such a worthy organisation and such an important cause.

​Historic Visit by Church Leaders
I first became aware of Open Bethlehem when the Constantinian Order’s then Delegation Prior and knight in Britain, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, recounted the powerful Christmas Day visit he made with the then Archbishop of Canterbury and fellow delegation knight Dr Rowan Williams in 2006. The visit came following a series of meetings in London with Open Bethlehem during their launch and appeal to the heads of churches. The late Cardinal reminded me that much like the Constantinian Order, Palestine shares St George as its patron saint and that we as knights and dames should try to help and build a partnership with this city.

Archbishop’s words
I remember too being so moved by another of our Order’s senior ecumenical knights, Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu who said of Leila’s work “Open Bethlehem is a nonviolent attempt to save a city that belongs to many in the world. It is unconscionable that Bethlehem should be allowed to die slowly from strangulation.” I cannot agree more with his sentiment and I am very keen to share with you here Leila’s account of Bethlehem in recent months as the city comes out of one lockdown, an experience shared around the world, into another one that it has to endure on its own- that of an iconic city besieged and kept away from the eyes of the world.
 
I very much hope that her account will move you, just like it moved me to do everything you can to support this very worthy project and help us promote the interests of Bethlehem at a time when the city needs us most.
​

Carol and Leila Sansour, the two founders of Open Bethlehem,  at the launch of the project. 

​I  was in London when the Covid-19 lockdown was announced in Bethlehem. This meant I wasn’t going  to be able  to make my way back home any time soon.  You could argue I was lucky to be stuck in London. Bethlehem’s modest medical facilities will never compare to those of Britain, but I was really worried about everyone I left behind.  I sat down and thought about all the times Bethlehem made me worry about its plight- so many if you know the town’s recent history!

A call
It was at this point that I received a call from Anthony Bailey OBE- a renowned inter-faith campaigner and a long term supporter of my work. He asked me to write about my town to share its latest news with members and supporters of the Constantinian Order. I was, of course, only delighted to do so and infinitely grateful that he had remembered us at this challenging time.  Anthony has been a longstanding visitor and true friend of our city.  More specifically, over the years, he has been a great supporter of Open Bethlehem-  a project we launched in 2005 to put Bethlehem on the international map. In recognition of this support, Anthony was granted the Bethlehem passport, a symbolic honorary citizenship of the city.

Anthony joins an imminent list of persons from all walks of life who have been so recognised because of their friendship and loyalty to our city and its people. These include notable global leaders such as Pope Benedict XVI, Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu of Cape Town and US President Jimmy Carter among others.

​The Open Bethlehem project came as a response to the building of the Israeli wall around Bethlehem. The wall was and remains an enormous challenge to a city that has shaped its life by being open to the outside world and whose economic life is so reliant on tourism.  As I say in my film “If Jesus was born in your town, you would have no choice”. Throughout history, even during dangerous times, people would come, and we learnt to welcome them.  If you consider that most hotels, souvenir shops and restaurants in Bethlehem belong to Christians families (historically the city’s majority), you will realise how precarious the future of the Christian community is in Bethlehem. At the start of any economic or political unrest they are the first to leave simply because they can still afford to.  Who would stay in a city without a future?!

Bethlehem keeps me worried 
So, I hope you understand what I mean when I say Bethlehem keeps me worried. The most recent lockdown was announced there early, on 5 March. A few Greek tourists tested positive for the coronavirus upon their return home from Bethlehem and the city was immediately put on high alert.  There simply was no capacity whatsoever to deal with any such threats. Bethlehem has only 4 ICU units. Few days later, all roads in and out of Bethlehem were locked. All tourist sites, all hotels and all public institutions including schools and universities had to shut down.  Bethlehem had barely come out of a long period of depression and isolation so this was truly unbearable news.

It was remarkable, nevertheless, to see yet again, how resourceful my city proved to be in critical situations. The municipalities sprang into action. People pulled together. The CARITAS hospital in Bethlehem learnt how to do the testing. Hebron, a neighbouring town, quickly turned three factories to manufacturing protective personal equipment and a number of institutions continued teaching and conducting business online albeit at a fraction of their normal productivity- just like everywhere else.  The Nativity church – the site marking the birth place of Jesus Christ, also went online allowing everyone to access Sunday mass while its actual doors remained closed.

What now for Bethlehem?! 
At some point, it seemed that Bethlehem has managed to contain the virus. Three weeks ago, only  60 cases have been detected- all have recovered. But, with the recent opening of the town, the problem has resurfaced. Coming out is a huge health gamble for Bethlehem but the city can no longer sustain the lockdown.  A large percent of the population lead a hand to mouth existence. Many of those who are in a slightly better position work in the tourism sector, which, due to current restrictions on international movement and flights, is not likely to begin the journey to recovery for at least two years.

It feels monstrous, at a time like this, that we also have to face the prospect of Israel’s decision to annex large chunks of the West Bank leaving us even more impoverished and disconnected.  The process has already started brutally and at pace. Never mind a pandemic, our more fundamental challenges, our abject isolation now rise so acutely in front of our eyes. No matter how the chapter with the disease ends, we will still remain behind a wall, under military occupation, with no control over our resources or the running of our economy. We will still remain a city without a future.  

It is times like these that remind us why we started Open Bethlehem and it is, at times like these, that we turn to you for support. We need to educate our friends around the world and people in positions of influence about the dangers we face. We need to help everyone understand the urgency and the need to work together to change the tide.

We appeal to you!
We want to preserve Bethlehem’s heritage. We want to remain an open city that symbolises “Joy and Goodwill to all” and, when you come to visit us, we want you to be able to celebrate mass with a vibrant indigenous Christian community that keeps churches alive so that you know you are visiting The Holy Land, not a biblical Disneyland. 

We hope that this reminder might spark something in your heart and that you will take some time to find out more about Open Bethlehem and our work and that, just like Anthony Bailey, you would consider partnering with us and becoming a supporter of Open Bethlehem’s vital work in these challenging times.For more information on the work of Open Bethlehem please visit openbethlehem.org and for more information on the Constantinian Order please visit constantinian.org.uk . You can donat to Open Bethlehem here. 

You’d be forgiven if the latest on Israel and Palestine has passed you by. We are flooded with ‘news’ right now, and it is difficult to keep up. Unfortunately, this means world events are passing at speed under the radar.  Political leaders by-pass timely questions and their actions escape scrutiny.  But we absolutely must hold our lawmakers to account: how will they respond to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s threat to annex the Palestinian West Bank?

We at Open Bethlehem offer our support for the Balfour Project's Scottish Call for Action promoting equal rights for Palestinians and Israelis. When it comes down to it that's what we all want to see - Palestinians and Israelis enjoying the same rights. 
The following call was issued by the Balfour Project on 17 March 2019: 
Towards an independent Palestinian state : a Scottish call to action Israel/Palestine: Equal Rights
From Edinburgh, and the home university of Arthur Balfour, we acknowledge  Britain’s historical responsibilities in the Holy Land, from before the Balfour Declaration through the British Mandate to today. Gaza was, is, and always will be, an integral part of Palestine. Past British responsibility for present injustice demands British engagement to work urgently for a better future.
The Jewish people exercised their right to self-determination in the Holy Land more than 70 years ago. To this day, the Palestinian people are denied this sacred right. This is the injustice which must end.
Our focus today is on Scotland’s role in influencing Britain as a whole – its  Government and civil society – to act for true equality: a policy based on those universal values which Britain helped enshrine in international law.
Palestinians and Israelis are obliged to share the Holy Land forever. Inequality does not bring safety and well-being. But how to move to peaceful coexistence, to reconciliation? The two peoples, acting alone, can not resolve this. So, for the good of both, we must help. President Trump is a hindrance, not a help.
Today we have heard of repressive, dehumanising occupation, violent deaths, injuries and trauma. Rockets only add to the fear and mistrust which haunt both sides. Decisive change on the ground is needed, now.
So, we call for these six measures to be taken:

• First, an end to the closure of Gaza. Twelve years of blockade have blighted lives, increased aid dependency and destroyed hope, especially among the young;
• Second, true freedom of worship for all believers – Jewish, Muslim and Christian – at their holy sites in Jerusalem, which must be the shared capital of two states;
• Third, respect for the rule of law embodied in UN Security Council Resolutions, most recently Resolution 2334. It condemns illegal Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories Israel occupied in 1967, and calls on all states to distinguish between them and the territories of the state of Israel ;
• Fourth, accountability and serious consequences for breaking international law;
• Fifth, recognition by the UK Government and European partners of the state of Palestine alongside Israel;
• Sixth, UK Government commitment to defend the fundamental rights of both peoples, including their right to security. Free movement of persons and goods between Gaza and the West Bank, and between Palestine and the world, is just such a right.

We seek a future of equal rights, security and peaceful coexistence between the citizens of Israel and Palestine in two states along the pre-1967 Green Line. And we support all on both sides of that line who see this outcome as just.
We urge our elected representatives to heed us. The MSPs and MPs with us today will ensure our call is heard in Holyrood and at Westminster.
Balfour Project (www.balfourproject.org)

At this special time of the year, and for a fleeting moment, the little town of Bethlehem comes into people’s homes and hearts. This is the time to remind your friends and family that Bethlehem is not just a mention in the bible. It is a very important town in the Middle East. It is alive, it is dreaming and, just like all the cities of Palestine, it is struggling to secure a future. Bethlehem needs your support!
Share a shortWe’ve created a 30 minute version of our film, Open Bethlehem, which works as a perfect introduction to the challenges that face the city. Why not share this with those who you think would enjoy or need to learn more? 
30 minute documentary
Gift Open Bethlehem Nothing beats the original – so if you want to share the full movie, you can gift a download or buy DVD of the film here. This is a truly special Christmas present.
Buy a DVD  Stream Open Bethlehem  
Become an ambassador for the cityOur Bethlehem Ambassadors are a special network of individuals who actively support our campaign and work to ensure the city’s future. As such, they make a vital contribution to our effort and we enjoy working and connecting with each one of them. Why not become a life-time ambassador of the city?
Become an ambassador 
With our very best wishes for Christmas and blessings to all of you from Bethlehem.