"We have a lot of tourists, but many of them aren't buying because of the economic situation," said Ahmed, 50, who preferred not to give his last name. "The main problem is that most of the tourists come for just two hours to see the church and maybe do a little shopping. Then they go back to Jerusalem."
In the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, Greek tourist Ilka Marchianos watched as a Greek Orthodox priest chanted the liturgy and another waved an incense burner. She said she and her family are in the Holy Land for 10 days but spending most of their time in Jerusalem. She came to Bethlehem today, she said, to avoid the Christmas Eve crowds.
David Silverman, Getty Images
Tourists, shown here in the Church of the Nativity, are flocking to Bethlehem again, but the Palestinian residents are hoping for even more.
"It really touched me a lot to see the place where Jesus is born," she whispered as the priest prayed nearby. "But Bethlehem itself isn't very pretty. It's crowded and the political situation makes me a little sad."
She said she thought about staying in a hotel in Bethlehem for a few days but was a little nervous and thought Jerusalem was safer. It is these feelings that infuriate local shopkeepers.
"They (the Israelis) tell them it's not safe to make them scared," said shop owner Omar Mhallah, 45. "I'm broke, I can't pay my rent and I can barely feed my children. I'm thinking of closing my business."
Palestinian Minister of Tourism Kholoud Deibes says tourism is up, and ongoing construction of hotels will increase the number of rooms in Bethlehem from 2,000 now to 3,000 by next year. Bethlehem officials say they want to do more to convince people to stay longer in Bethlehem and spend more money there.
She estimates some 50,000 tourists will visit in the coming week. Israeli estimates are even higher at 70,000 tourists.
Israeli officials say they are doing everything they can to facilitate tourists' entry into Bethlehem. The checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem will be open around the clock. Arab citizens of Israel, who normally need a permit to enter Bethlehem, will be allowed in freely. Palestinians in Bethlehem will also be given more permits to visit family in Jerusalem.
This town of 32,000 is completely dependent on tourism. Pope John Paul II's 2000 visit to Bethlehem caused more than 2 million tourists to visit the town that year. But soon afterward, the second intifada broke out and tourism plunged. In 2002 Bethlehem was the scene of heavy fighting between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants. A group of militants took refuge in the Church of the Nativity, which Israel besieged for more than month. Nine gunmen and the church's bell-ringer died in the violence.
Bethlehem is surrounded on three sides by the separation wall that Israel says it needs to protect itself from suicide bombers. Palestinians in Bethlehem say the wall has destroyed the town's economy.
"Israelis live in the shadow of great fear that is preventing them for taking courageous decisions to end the struggle," said Fuad al-Tuwal, the Latin Patriarch of the Holy Land, in his annual Christmas speech. "The separation wall is a physical presence that embodies that fear."
Despite all the difficulties, both tourists and residents say they are determined to have a merry Christmas. On Manger Square today the finishing touches on a large stage for the traditional Christmas Eve concert was being set up. Children stared longingly at large bunches of multicolored balloons. Christmas carols in Arabic blared out of huge speakers on the square.
And Bethlehem's shopkeepers say they will not give up hope. "Tell the world that Jesus protects everyone here," urged Ahmed.
"Maybe we'll have peace in 2010," said Omar. "Then business will get better."
