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EYEWITNESS FROM JERUSALEM |
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A WEEKLY JOURNAL WRITTEN BY SISTER MARY |
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EYEWITNESS FROM JERUSALEM |
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A WEEKLY JOURNAL WRITTEN BY SISTER MARY |
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Jerusalem Journal # 39 8
December 2001 |
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For
those of you who have been following the "Saga of the Advent Bazaar"
in Bethlehem (that had to be canceled last Sunday), I am delighted to report
that it became a reality today, Dec. 8th., one of Mary's feasts. Bazaar
booths from many European countries and from Africa lined Bethlehem Square on
three sides, leaving the eastern side open facing the basilica, as people
gathered awaiting the Internationals who would be coming to staff the booths. But
the Internationals were stuck in the long line at the Israeli
roadblock/checkpoint into Bethlehem for almost an hour and a half as the Israeli
Occupation Force made it difficult to enter the West Bank. Finally several
Internationals left their vehicles and stood watching what the soldiers were
doing (or not doing) and even taking pictures of how they were treating people
at the checkpoint. One British woman reported that it was worse than
anything she experienced in Eastern Europe years ago. The presence of the
Internationals watching them did not please the soldiers/border police, so they
begin to let the cars pass into Bethlehem at a faster pace. As one
Palestinian approached the checkpoint and was allowed to enter his hometown
without a tortuous wait, he turned to the Internationals and said,
"God bless you". The reaction of the Internationals was to admit that
it would make a great deal of difference to have Internationals as observers at
the roadblock/checkpoints on a regular basis. In the meantime families from Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and
Beit Jala milled around in Nativity Square greeting one another and visiting;
children were excited and an atmosphere of expectation was tangible.
Finally when the Internationals arrived and displayed the work and food from
their countries, the array was marvelous. Colorful bead work from Africa
drew not just teenage attention, but adults as well. Famous German stolen
and British rum and brandy cakes sold quickly, as well as Cadbury Advent
calendars of chocolates -- all for very low prices, since there are so few wage
earners now that travel agents, hotels, souvenir shops and restaurants have been
closed for over a year and so many business establishments were destroyed by the
recent Israeli invasion. Other European booths were also doing brisk
business, but they were so crowded that I could not get close enough to see what
they were selling or giving away. There were clowns. give-away balloons in
animal shapes and books for the children. The Palestinian women had a
booth and were selling their exquisite embroidery work at very modest prices.
Then the choirs began to sing and the music had a marvelous effect on all of us. I do
believe that the Advent bazaar lifted the spirits of the residents of this
besieged town and helped them realize that the international community had not
forgotten them. It seemed odd that the United States did not have a booth.
I wondered if the bazaar was too religious or too political or too what? But
I did see Americans there; they helped staff the booths of other countries and
spent their dollars in Bethlehem. They certainly were not afraid to
enter into the Advent spirit nor to join the Christian community in the West
Bank town of Bethlehem. |
