JERUSALEM, Feb. 13, 01 (CWNews.com/Fides) - In the first few days following the electoral victory of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon clashes have resumed in Gaza, Beit Jala, and Gilo in areas occupied by Israel.
Anguished Israeli and Palestinian families are in the grip of fear. An Israeli settler near Efrat in the hills around Bethlehem agreed to speak with Fides, on the condition his name is not given. "The situation is unbearable. We all hope Sharon, known as a 'strong man', will be able to guarantee security for the people. Many Arabs think this way too: on the one hand they are afraid of him, on the other they hope Sharon will come up with a security plan to guarantee more work and more contact," he said.
Concern for security and a stable job unites the Israelis and Palestinians. At the moment, with the Palestinian territories isolated and the problem of bombs and attacks from both sides, Israelis and Palestinians have little contact with one another. "We live in fear," another Israeli settler said. "When evening comes we go into the house and lock our doors: the Arabs also live in fear and in poor conditions because they cannot come to us to work. In the meantime Beit Jala, a Christian area of outer Jerusalem, one of the centers of the new intifada, is being depopulated as more and more families leave."
The Israeli community is also feeling the effects of the situation. "Shops are closing, there are more people out of work. Barak made many promises, but his was the worst period of government," said a man who works in Jerusalem. The second intifada sent the economies of both Israel and Palestinian areas crashing.
According to figures issued by Israel's Central Statistics Office, the year 2000 was one of the most positive, as the Gross National Product increased by 5.9 percent (after three years of recession). But this increase was produced during the first part of 2000. The new intifada which started in late September caused a halt in various sectors: 40 percent fewer tourists, 50 percent less farm produce and building, and 40 percent less investment.
Jerusalem and Bethlehem, which were banking on tourism for the Christian Jubilee of 2000, saw a deserted Holy Land from September onwards. It has been a disaster for hotels, travel agencies, and souvenir shops, the livelihood of many Palestinians and Israelis. A Catholic in Jerusalem said, "Hotels in Bethlehem, Tiberias, and Nazareth are thinking of closing. Even in Jerusalem they are finding it difficult to stay open." The situation is so serious that Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Delegate for Jerusalem and Palestine, is at present in Rome to take part in a meeting of the Opera Romana Pelligrinaggi on February 14. He wants to encourage pilgrims to come again to the Holy Land.
Catholic World News Service - Daily News Briefs
13. februar 2001