JERUSALEM, Dec 28, 01 (CWNews.com) - Israel said on Friday that it had lifted its security cordon around Bethlehem for continuing Christmas celebrations, but said Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat would still not be allowed to travel there. A similar cordon around Jerusalem remained in place.
"The Israeli army ended the encirclement of Bethlehem, in accordance with government guidelines, for the occasion of Christmas," the military announced. Local sources said the cordon had only been partially lifted and that traffic was now moving through two of four Israeli army roadblocks.
Arafat has been confined to the West Bank city of Ramallah since last week as Israel demanded he hand over the assassins responsible for the murder of an Israeli Cabinet minister several weeks earlier. Arafat was prevented from traveling to Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations as had been his custom since 1995 and Israel has already said he would not be able to attend Christmas celebrations on January 6, the date on which the Orthodox and Armenian churches place the feast.
"The cordon will be removed ... in order to ease the celebration of the holiday in the city ... to facilitate maximum access to the site of worship to Christians from Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank," the Defense Ministry said.
Catholic World News Service - Daily News Briefs
28. desember 2001