Dear Sam, I really could not write better than you wrote about coexistance in Bethlehem between Christians and Muslims, you did a great job, and u know, people have to stop for a moment and seek the truth here, not looking for a source in the internet or a book wrote by somebody, even if the writer is genuis, or on an occasion hapenned here or there sometime in order to build our opinion on and start like or hate people according to our " not that strong opinion " Dig into the things and discover new things, don't let anybody, and I mean anybody fool you, Muslim, Christian or Jew! search for the truth in all three religions, and you will find a lot of points that people can agree on. As Muslim, I tell you all, Islam is great, like all other religions, we don't hate people just because they are not muslims! our culture was not based on lies!! we succeeded to live with other religions for hundreds of years, and we all will, don't worry! Muslims made a lot of mistakes, beleive me we did some horrible things, but we did great things too, with the help of other nations, people don't undertsand everything we say, and we now beleiving that you have to understand the person infront of you in order to be understood, and I will not start talking about poor palestinian arabs, no, we are now not that well, but we knew our mistakes and we are fixing them, maybe our relationship with Christians in Bethlehem passed through hardtimes, but our brotherhood with them is still strong, and we all against anybody, and I mean anybody who tries to take OUR land. The report is full of not accurate things, it is cristal clear, and true things too, I live near the place talking about, I know better than people sit in France, USA or even saudi Arabia, what's going on in my country, and all people are invited in the Xmas days, and after, to visit the holy land and see what is the truth. Once again dear Sam, good job ;-)

Just curious sam, last week, you were a Muslim, proud of your Muslim heritage and bemoaning the world's reaction to Islamic terrorism. Today, a miracle of rebirth and you are all of a sudden a Christian. What will you be tomorrow? By the way, do you ever respond to anyone with an intellignet response, or wil you continue to attack on a personal level as is typical of the Muslims?

Might as well as my 2 cents. I'm not Jewish, not Muslim, and definitely not Catholic. I have been to Israel numerous times and to the territories. First of all, almost all the Jewish towns have walls in the territories. Why do you think that is? All the IDF personnel we met were great, all they are looking for is murderers of men, women and children. Which of you think that you wouldn't try and stop bombers if they came to your town, to the bus your children were on? Be reasonable. Setting off bombs does not build bridges to peace.

because the Jews will tolerate their venom. They cannot do it in the Arab states which are not tolerant of the opposing point of views. That is why the Arab world is hateful, tyrannical and very corrupt.

The Muslim Arabs want to rid the Middle East of Christians and Jews. The Palestinain Arabs have been assigned to dislodge Israel. They are doing their job. The numbers speak for themselves. The Christians are leaving. Once they accomplish that they will force the Euros to submit to their beliefs and demands. America is also on their list and they are planting seeds all over.

My identity may be split, but things are very clear to me: First and foremost, I am a member of the Arab nation, then a member of the Palestinian people. Thirdly, I am a Christian. And in this regard I would quote the founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Dr. George Habash: "I am proud of my Muslim culture, I am proud of my Marxist-Leninist education, and I am proud of the fact I am Christian – and I live in complete harmony with these three elements." CHECK THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3189955,00.html

so,"mon cher joe"! you said that jews were given the choice,moving to muslim country or taking the risk to suffer persecutions in some christian countries?that's true,and that's why the jewish people went back to his ancestral land: ISRAEL.,so that we don't need to lean on muslims or christians to stay alive.the muslims welcomed us in the maghreb after 1492 because they were clever and they understood that it can only be better for them to welcome,doctors,astraunots,buisnessmen,etc...the antisemitism from some christians is only due to jalousy.but look,where there is more jews in the world(u s a)it's the world leading power,and where they killed their jews(ukraine for example)they live in very difficult condition.it's why the muslim welcomed jews,because in that time they had a better heart but also by interest.but after a while in arab countries,the muslims also forced many jews to convert to islam or to die.and you the "genius" from new york don't tell me about life for a jew or a christian in an arab country because i was born in tunisia.and about the christians in bethleem,they suffer but they're not free to say it.they say to christians that they are real palestinians and that they have to fight israel because they need christians to help them in their hope to chase the jews.but they hate christians like jews.make a search on the internet,you will find this story about this muslim girl from beethleem who was going out with a palestinian like her(but christian),her famimy killed her,and after killing her,thousands of muslim pales. wanted to do a pogrom to their christian "brothers"...you know that if the muslims were not busy with us,they will only be busy to islamize the christians.ps:excuse my english,i'm just french.

your denial of what is going with Christians persecuted by Arabs should be believed? NOT!

The fact that you quote a murdering bastard like George Habash, should make anybody question your motives. You really ought to start looking for better role models than a terrorist like Habash, a pediatrician who plotted the murder of Israeli school children.

Is it also not true that the Christian population is decreasing in the Middle East with the single exception of Israel?? it is not anti-Islam to speak the facts.

If you want to talk about the Christian Palestinians living in the Palestinian Territories, you should study it from all the sides. You can’t blame the Muslims for the Christians who are leaving, and also you can’t blame Israel. We should blame both sides, I am a Christian Palestinian and it really hurts when I see fellow Christians leaving their homeland, the place where Christianity started and where you can trace their ancestors from the time of Jesus. The problem is that Christians in this country are 2% of the population, so they are a minority. If any Christian says that there is no discrimination from the Muslims towards them, for sure he is not being honest neither with himself nor with others, Christians face discrimination in the Muslim community in many ways, for example, Muslims come in priority when it comes to a job matter despite the fact that the Christian employee might be more educated and appropriate for the job, another example Christians face is at governorate school, because the majority of the students are Muslims, their parents prefer that they have Muslim teacher. I can give many examples. At the other hand, Christians also are discriminated by Israel as a holder of a Palestinian ID, they are treated at the checkpoint the same way other Palestinian is treated, to be honest, there are some exceptions but still they are not even worth mentioning. They are not allowed to work in Israel, or even to visit Israel. They are considered Palestinians. As a conclusion, we can see that Christians don’t have any opportunities from both sides, and since they are more educated and most of them have relatives in many parts of the world, so it’s easy from them to leave. I hope you now have a part of the whole picture. I think this issue is worth studying.

Ever notice the feedback on here vs Al Jazeera? If YNET is so bad, why is such anti-Israeli venom tolerated. There seem to be some folks on here who feel it's their right to criticize, but whose cause is extremely intolerant of the slightest opposing view. Even Al Jazeera is feared as a potentially destabalizing influence, and they are about as anti Israel and anti democratic as you can get.

you think he is a murdering bastard still he is a hero and the best role model.

This article is a complete nonsense...! Christians of the Palestinians are not prosecuted as this article is trying to show. Christians are leaving because muslims are leaving too. There are more Muslims who left Palestine after occupation than Christians. However, Muslims have more birth rate than Christians, not only in Palestine, but in the whole middle east in general. If Muslims are so bad, the there would have been no christians in Jerusalem or Bethlehem since a very long time. On the contrary, muslims protected Christian properties when at all times, especially at the time when they had the upper hand in this land. If people in the U.S. do not want to understand, let them never understand. The problem is that the mass of ignorants is always dangerous and will support an ignorant president in all his endaevors. It seems that there are people on this world who are seeking trouble and incitment, and will not rest until they see a war and blood everywhere. This is what the cowboys want. They entered more wars in the past century than any other country. Then they claim that muslims are thugs blah blah blah...... Americans, get lost...!!

The only way Muslim persecution of Christians is going to stop is for Israel to annex Bethlehem and the surrounding area (Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, Bethany, Mar Saba & Theodosius Monasteries) and invite back the Christians who fled from Muslim persecution. It's shocking that the Vatican and other Christian church leaders continue to support the PA despite the way their followers are being treated. If they were smart, they'd ask for Israel to come in and protect the Christians.

Secondly, Christians have been moving out as you said, since Muslims have been moving in. Its not because of Israel, but because of the Muslims. It isnt unique to Judea and Samaria either. I have a Lebanese Christian friend and its the same thing wit the Muslims taking over in Lebanon. Its the Muslims idiot.

http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_current_christians.php http://www.theprismgroup.org/articles/palestinian_treatment_of_christian_arabs.html

The zionit jews on this forum come and talk about "harrassement" of other faiths followers?? The same ones who live in a state that they want the world to BUY that it is ONLY for jews !! The same ones who prosecute the native arabs (muslim and christian) day in and day out. While the jews spit on christian clergy day in and day out in the old city of Jerusalem (not a single israeli politician apologized for it so far), if a jewish goat is hurt in alaska, they come out cry anti-semitism. Chrtistians in this land are ARABs whom are prosecuted by the zionist state just like their muslim ARAB brothers and sisters. The zionist rule over this land turned it into a racist closed militant area like never before in history. Muslims ruled this land for 1400 years and our christian brothers couldn't be any safer. The keys of the Nativity church are entrusted to the Dajani family, a muslim family, by the collective accord fo ALL christian dominations, while when your fellow crusaders came over they spilled our blood, muslims and christians alike !! The zionist state now locks every corner of bethelhem and turns it into a prison, while ANY christian from kafr eldeek, let alone beit jala, CAN'T cross to Jersualem to pray in his holy places just like his muslim brothers thanks to the zionists !! While Arabs can not marry from Arabs from the west bank, Jordan or Egypt according to the zionist laws, a jewish from houndarus or siberia can come, dwell, marry and live on our land and again by the zionist laws. Welcome to the racism-in-action state of the 21st century

All of Palestine belongs to us, we gave up on much of it, so that we can build our state on it, and leave the conflict to be solved by future generations, maybe they would be stronger than we are right now. Israel owns nothing moraly, legally or by any other means other than power. Unfortunately this is the power era. Once again, It's the occupation stupid. Actually it is boring to keep writing things when even after 78 postings we still get people like Gerard who speaks about "solving the problem christians are facing". Go solve your problems and have a walk in a black neighborhood at night in LA.

I said literally and I say it again: that I am a christian who is proud to belong to the muslim heritage of the area. Got it now Moron? I doubt that. Read thoroughly next time.

Well, Truth, Bethlehem and Sam , Alquds, Palestine, you are very lucky people ! Because Muslims persecute Christians all over the world (and even in so-called Christian countries like France, they managed to try to burn churches). Bethlehem must be the one place on earth where Muslims tolerate Christians. You even say that Muslims and Christians have the same faith !!! That's very strange as the Koran (though historically much more recent) pretends to replace both the Christian and the Jewish revelations... Anne

To those who allege that the article was a lie and claim christians and muslims co-exist peacfully under the merry banner of the Palestinian Authority, I guess the following was either just fun and games or simply made up by the sinister Jews who plot everyone's downfall: Muslims ransack Christian village Wednesday, September 7, 2005 By: Khaled Abu Toameh from the Jerusalem Post Efforts were under way on Sunday to calm the situation in this Christian village east of Ramallah after an attack by hundreds of Muslim men from nearby villages left many houses and vehicles torched. The incident began on Saturday night and lasted until early Sunday, when Palestinian Authority security forces interfered to disperse the attackers. Residents said several houses were looted and many families were forced to flee to Ramallah and other Christian villages, although no one was injured. The attack on the village of 1,500 was triggered by the murder of a Muslim woman from the nearby village of Deir Jarir earlier this week. The 30-year-old woman, according to PA security sources, was apparently murdered by members of her family for having had a romance with a Christian man from Taiba. "When her family discovered that she had been involved in a forbidden relationship with a Christian, they apparently forced her to drink poison," said one source. "Then they buried her without reporting her death to the relevant authorities." When the PA security forces decided to launch an investigation into the woman's death, her family protested for fear that the relationship would be exposed. The family was further infuriated by the decision to exhume the body for autopsy. The attack is one of the worst against Christians in the West Bank in many years. Residents said it took the PA security forces several hours to reach Taiba. Others complained that the IDF, which is in charge of overall security in the area, did not answer their desperate calls for immediate help. "More than 500 Muslim men, chanting Allahu akbar [God is great], attacked us at night," said a Taiba resident. "They poured kerosene on many buildings and set them on fire. Many of the attackers broke into houses and stole furniture, jewelry and electrical appliances." With the exception of large numbers of PA policemen, the streets of Taiba were completely deserted on Sunday as the residents remained indoors. Many torched cars littered the streets. At least 16 houses had been gutted by fire and the assailants also destroyed a statue of the Virgin Mary. "It was like a war, they arrived in groups, and many of them were holding clubs," said another resident. "Some people saw them carrying weapons. They first attacked houses belonging to the Khoury family [looking for the man who had the affair with the women, not realizing he had already fled the village.] Then they went to their relatives. They entered the houses and destroyed everything there. Then they tried to enter the local beer factory, but were repelled by PA security agents. The fire engine arrived five hours later."

From the WND website, part of a letter posted there: David Kupelian David Kupelian WND Exclusive Commentary Important letter to WND readers Posted: November 22, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com Dear WND reader, I don't do this very often, but I'm going to do it now. I'll make it short and, I hope, sweet. If you're a loyal WorldNetDaily reader, one who trusts and relies on WND for your daily news, then you need to be getting Whistleblower also. Why? I could give you lots of reasons. I could go into detail about how Whistleblower, which focuses in-depth on one topic each month, courageously takes on the crucial issues almost no one else in the major media will touch. Stories like our powerful report on "WHY ARE CHRISTIANS LOSING AMERICA?"

Below is part of an article from: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44718 FAITH UNDER FIRE Nigeria`s war on Christians Islamic law brings death, suffering to non-Muslims Posted: June 11, 2005 © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com "More than 10,000 Christians have been killed since 1999, the year Islamic "Sharia law" was introduced in Nigeria, according to Voice of the Martyrs, a group that aids the persecuted church around the world. Nearly 1,000 homes and churches have been burned down by Muslim radicals – with a wink and a nod from a government that doesn't recognize the rights of non-Muslims. The war on Christians began in 1999 when Alhaji Ahmed Sani assumed the office of governor in Nigeria's Zamfara state. Just five months later, he introduced Sharia law. Soon 11 other northern Nigerian states, all with Muslim majorities, followed Zamfara's lead and implemented some form of the harsh Islamic legal code. Sharia is based on the Quran and Hadith, the Islamic sacred book and teachings. It imposes a strict code of conduct on the population. For example, if an individual is convicted of stealing, the punishment is amputation of his hand. In the case of adultery, the punishment is death by stoning. "If you go around villages, you will see people missing one hand or one foot," explained Rev. Obiora Ike. "Do you think that’s the result of an illness? That is the result of Sharia Law." Christians in the country say the imposition of Sharia law has resulted in a wave of violence and attacks against them, their homes, churches and villages as the militants wage jihad, or holy war, against them. Sharia law permits violent attacks against non-Muslims and the killing of former Muslims who have converted to Christianity or other faiths. The destruction of churches and the prohibition of new church constructions are considered legitimate actions. Recently, before a large crowd, the Zamfara state government recently held a five-year anniversary to celebrate the implementation of Sharia. Governor Ahmad Sani recalled why Sharia was introduced into the state: to satisfy the desire of the people for governance by the "laws of Allah … to cleanse society of social and moral vices like alcoholism, gambling, theft, armed robbery, prostitution, bribery, corruption and deceit." Muslim zealots are being financed by Saudis who want to Islamicize the entire African continent. The implementation of Sharia has been blamed for the vast violence and deaths occurring not just in Zamfara state, where it was first implemented, but in other states as well." In Sudan's jihad, over two million Christians are dead, including Animists. Hundreds of thousands of Christians have been taken for slaves by Sudan's Muslims.

I read what you have written in the past:one day you are a Muslim, one day a Christian. But in all cases, one item is evident - you are incapable of an intelligent exchange. Explains why the Muslims are involved in every war now going on in the world-a devout inability to engage in peaceful exchanges promulgating their need for an evil and barbaric lifestyle.

Thank you for your balanced post. This is not the propaganda we got from the other "christians" in Bethlehem. Cheers and good luck !

Did the muslims burn your churches before or after the so-called "christians" drew Nazi emblems on jewish tombs in Paris? Or was it maybe coinciding with your friends in the neighborhood harassing their muslim neighbors and calling them terrorists just because they are called muhammed? We never exercise that in Bethlehem, and maybe you ought to try that for a change, or even better come over for a visit. I wonder why Patriarch Sabbah and Archbishop Hanna stress on their "Palestinianism" whenever they make a speech? Maybe late President Arafat is still paying them money from his grave? Money to keep quiet while their fellow christians are being slaughtered by the "savage Muslims". Give us more credit, we are not for sale, and if u accept to be for sale in your mentality (it seems so, since at the beginning many people asked me how much I get paid!) I don't. This game (divide and rule) was tried till now by every conqueror who occupied this country for the last 1000 years. They are all gone, and we and our Muslim brothers are still here. We can wait. Hope you understand this, cause I am giving up on you and your fascist way of thinking.

"I wonder why Patriarch Sabbah and Archbishop Hanna stress on their "Palestinianism" whenever they make a speech? " Perhaps Patriarch Sabbah is afraid he will receive a qassam in his front lawn if he does not read the speech presented to him by Hamas.