A spokesman for Christian churches in the Holy Land on Wednesday accused Israel of discriminating against Christian tourists during the normally busy Christmas holiday season.
Israel closed its borders to foreign tourists in November in response to the global Omicron outbreak, and after several cases of the newly discovered coronavirus variant were found within the country.
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Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Bethlehem in the West Bank on December 4, 2021
(Photo: The Media Line)
But this week, Israeli officials decided to make an exception for "Birthright," a popular program that provides free trips to Israel to young Jews from around the world.
Groups from the United States are expected to arrive next week, with participants all fully vaccinated and remaining in small "capsules."
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Fireworks at Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
(Photo: Reuters)
For now, restrictions remain in effect for other foreign tourists, including Christian pilgrims who traditionally have flocked to sites like Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem, the biblical town in the West Bank revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus.
Wadie Abunassar, a spokesman and adviser to churches in the Holy Land, said various denominations were upset over the selective treatment and he accused Israel of discriminating against Christian pilgrims.
"Racist discrimination should never be accepted in any way!" he wrote on Facebook. "I urge the Israeli authorities to treat all those who want to visit the country equally without any discrimination between religion."
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Christian pilgrims visit the Church of Nativity ahead of the Christmas preparations in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, November 2021
(Photo: EPA)
An official with the Catholic Church said church officials were shocked and angry by the Israeli decision. He said the church, along with other denominations, have appealed to the Tourism Ministry to allow Christian pilgrims to come for the holiday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The Interior Ministry, which oversees entrance policies at the country's borders, said the policy remains not to allow foreigners into Israel.
But it said a number of exceptions have been made, including a "specific" decision for the Birthright program. It said officials would be discussing the possibility of other exceptions in the near future, but gave no further details.
The travel ban has crushed the tourism industry in Israel, and officials in Bethlehem, whose economy relies heavily on Christmas visitors, say the restrictions have ruined the holiday season for a second straight year. The West Bank does not have its own airport and most foreign visitors enter from Israel.