Because of Israel’s continued and illegal construction of the Annexation and Segregation Wall, Palestinians, as well as all others who wish to enter Occupied Palestine, will have to cross one of the four new so-called “terminals” that Israel is currently building. The four terminals are situated in Zaatara, Howara, Qalandiya and the most recent addition is the terminal in front of the biblical city of Bethlehem.

Even though all the terminals are equally illegal under international law (as they are built by the occupying power on occupied land, which the Geneva Conventions prohibit), the Bethlehem terminal especially needs to be highlighted because it clearly obstructs the visits of thousands of Christian pilgrims, who normally flock to Bethlehem at Christmas-time to commemorate the birth of Jesus.

Incidentally, the Israeli authorities chose to officially open the Bethlehem terminal on November 15, on the anniversary of the day on which the late President Arafat declared the independence of the state of Palestine in 1988. What is most disturbing about this terminal, however, is the detrimental effect it will have on tourism, the Palestinian economy, and the freedom of worship of millions of Christians around the world.

As Bethlehem’s current mayor Dr Victor Batarseh said in a recent interview that his “It (the wall and the terminal) is the main obstacle to the revival of tourism in Bethlehem.” The reason for the decline in tourism is obvious: all visitors will have to endure a tortuous process if they wish to enter Bethlehem. The journey within the terminal begins with five electronically rotating gates, reminiscent of a cattle slaughter house; then visitors will have to pass through two X-ray machines which may cause serious health risks; then visitors will have to go through a passport check by Israeli authorities. This estimated journey from one end to the other of the terminal will take anything from one hour to four or five.

In a letter of appeal by the Christian community in Bethlehem to the Holy See, residents of Bethlehem said, "Bethlehem’s Christians are closed in an open-air prison by an eight-meter wall, which is robbing them of land essential for their survival." They further condemned the closure of the traditional route to reach the Basilica of the Nativity and the opening of a new terminal as a form of "modern barbarism" to "strangle a town economically," to impose "daily insecurity on a people," and "to gross religious discrimination.”

The Israeli Government's closure policy also prevents many Christian leaders from reaching their congregations. In previous years, several clergymen reported that they were subject to harassment at checkpoints, the appeal added.

These terminals situated throughout the West Bank and not the 1949 armistice line, contrary to popular belief, have given rise to a Palestinian concern that Israel is intentionally and swiftly prejudging final status issues, and will ultimately cut the Palestinian state by half its intended area and break it up into three non-contiguous cantons.

Before the opening of these terminals, it was thought by many that these terminals would be more ‘humane’ and would make the life of Palestinians more bearable. This belief was prominently held by the World Bank’s Country Programme Coordinator for the West Bank and Gaza, when he said, “these terminals help enhance the efficiency of the border crossings for the benefit of Palestinians…at least maintain if not increase the security considerations of Israelis. From that perspective it will be a double gain.” One needs only to attempt to enter Bethlehem now to see how wrong these hopes were.

2005 years after the birth of Christ, who would have thought that ordinary citizens, pilgrims, clergy and tourists would have to go through a terminal in Bethlehem’s northern entrance to enter this biblical, historic and highly symbolic city.