Most Americans believe Bethlehem is an Israeli town inhabited by a
mixture of Jews and Muslims, a pre-Christmas survey of US perceptions
of the town has shown.
Only 15 per cent of Americans realise that it is a Palestinian city
with a mixed Christian-Muslim community, lying in the occupied West
Bank.
The nationwide survey, carried out by top US political pollsters
Zogby International, canvassed 15000 American respondents. The poll
was commissioned by the campaign organisation Open Bethlehem
to coincide with a survey carried out in Bethlehem itself – canvassing
1000 respondents from the three urban centers of Bethlehem, where the
population splits almost equally between Muslims and Christians.
The surveys have put the spotlight on the plight of the town, which
has been fast losing its indigenous Christian population since the
construction of the Israeli wall plunged Bethlehem into economic
crisis.
The two surveys show that American perceptions of the town are
wildly at odds with the perceptions of those who live there.
While the Christians of Bethlehem overwhelmingly (78%) blame the
exodus of Christians from the town on Israel’s blockade, Americans are
more likely (45.9%) to blame it on Islamic politics and are reluctant
(7.4%) to blame Israel.
And while four out of ten Americans believe that the wall exists
for Israel’s security, more than nine out of ten Bethlehemites believe
it is part of a plan by Israel to confiscate Palestinian land.
The Zogby survey shows strong support for the town in the US, where
65.5% of the population want the UN to list it as a world heritage
site. Americans are also strongly in favour (80.6%) of Bethlehem
retaining a strong Christian presence.
Americans are also ambivalent about the Israeli wall, with 31.5% in
favour of it, with another 31.6% opposed.
But more than two-thirds of Americans believe Bethlehem is unsafe
to visit, while 80% of Bethlehemites consider their town safe for
visitors.
While the US survey showed that Americans are sceptical about
Muslims and Christians living contentedly alongside each other – only
17% thought they lived together in peaceful coexistence – the
Palestinian survey showed they do: around 90% of Christians said they
had Muslim friends, and vice-versa.
The Israeli government could well be shaken by the discovery that
Americans’ tolerance of the wall would be strained by the discovery
that it separates communities and families, cuts Bethlehem off from
Jerusalem, and requires the seizure of privately-owned land.
US Christians, meanwhile, are likely to be shocked by the discovery
that seven out of ten Christians in Bethlehem believe Israel treats
the town’s Christian heritage with brutality or indifference.
The Bethlehem poll, which was carried out by the Palestinian Centre
for research and Cultural Dialogue, shows on the other hand that more
than two-thirds (73.3%) of Bethlehem’s Christians believe that the
Palestinian Authority treats Christian heritage with respect. That
result will surprise some who believe that the election of Hamas has
strained Christian-Muslim relations in the town.
Leila Sansour, Open Bethlehem’s Chief Executive, says:
“Our US poll shows overwhelming support for Bethlehem’s Christian
heritage, yet our survey of Bethlehem’s own citizens shows the city
cannot retain this heritage and its Christian community while the wall
remains.
“The choice is stark. Either the wall stays and Bethlehem ceases to
be a Christian town. Or Bethlehem retains its Christian population –
in which case the wall has to come down. The international community
needs to wake up to what is happening and choose.”
-
KEY FINDINGS OF THE TWO SURVEYS
- 59.1 % of Americans thought that the population of Bethlehem was
either Muslim or Jewish or a mix of both. Only 15.6 % knew it was a
mix of Christians and Muslims.
- When asked where the city was located 58% of Americans thought
it was in Israel. Only 26% knew that the town of Jesus birth was
located in the Occupied Territories.
- When told that the population of Bethlehem is a mix of
Christians and Muslims 25.1% of Americans thought that they lived
together in bitter dispute while only 17 % thought they lived
together in peaceful coexistence. 26.4 % thought it was neither.
- In the Bethlehem survey 87.5% of Muslims said they had Christian
friends and 92.2% of Christians said they had Muslim friends.
- The Bethlehem poll shows that 22.4% of Bethlehem residents
regard unemployment as their main problem, 5.9% cite emigration,
4.3% think it is the expropriation of their land by Israel – and
67.4% see it is as a combination of these four factors. When asked
about the key current factor in the crisis: 38.1% of
respondents said the Israeli occupation, 39.7% blamed the Israeli
wall while 19.2% looked to the rifts within their own society.
- A large number of Americans respondents (36.9%) were not aware
of the Israeli wall in and around Bethlehem. Of those who knew,
equal numbers of Americans either supported or opposed the wall:
31.5% supported 31.6% opposed.
- The American poll showed that 40.6% of Americans thought that
the wall is there for Israel’s security, while 19.4% thought that
the wall is there to confiscate land from Bethlehem residents for
the sake of Israel’s expansion.
- In Bethlehem, 6% of respondents believe the wall is a temporary
measure, while 91.1% regard it as a premeditated plan by Israel to
confiscate their land. The wall features as a bigger problem for
Christians: 42.1% of Christians refer to it as the key problem
facing the city, as opposed to 36.3% of Muslims.
- In the last 5 years about 400 Christian families left Bethlehem.
When asked for the reason 45.9% of Americans thought it was the rise
of Islamic extremism while only 7.4% attributed their exodus to the
Israeli occupation.
- In stark contrast, 78% of Bethlehem’s Christians said they were
leaving because of the Israeli occupation – while only 3.2% blamed
the rise of Islamic movements. 12.5% attributed it to both.
- 75% of people in Bethlehem said they are depressed by family
members moving abroad. Among those who chose to stay, 20.5% said
that work or family commitments were the major deterrents.
- 63.2% of Bethlehem Christians have at least one relative who has
emigrated, against 32,8% of Muslims. When asked if many of their
relatives have left the country, the contast sharpens: Christian
respondents stand at 20.1%, against 5.4% among Muslims.
- 50.7% of Bethlehem Christians have thought of emigrating,
against 43.6% among Muslims.
- 15.7% of Bethlehem Christians said they are in the process of
emigrating – against 8.3% among Muslims. Worryingly, 19.2% of those
are young and 36% have BA degrees or above. Of those in the process
of emigrating, 72.45% are male.
- Americans think that more Muslim lands than Christian lands have
been confiscatd by Israel: Muslims 18.4% Christians 3.6% Both:
34.5%.
- 54.7% of Bethlehem Christians said they had relatives whose
land was confiscated by Israel. 41.7% of Muslims said the same .
- 65.3% of people in Bethlehem said they have had family members
or friends arrested for political reasons. (74.5% muslim,
59%Christian)
- 41.5% of people in Bethlehem said they had either a member of
their family or a friend killed by the Israeli army- 53.9% muslim,
32.9% Christian
- 65.9% of Christians in Bethlehem think Israel treats Christian
heritage with either brutality or indifference. (rising to 76% for
those respondents over the age of 60)
- 73.3% of Christians in Bethlehem believe PA treats Christian
heritage with respect.
- 86.1% of people in Bethlehem think churches should do more to
help the city. 74.7% think the world knows little about situation.
- 43.1% of people in Bethlehem see “Fear of the pro Israeli lobby”
as the key factor behind the lack of action among international
community while 14.2% think it is lack of understanding. 17.9%
attribute it to general indifference .
- 53.2% of people in Bethlehem believe that international
pressure is key to resolving the situation while 18.9% think that
the solution will come through a change in Israeli politics. Only
7.6% trust that help will come from Arab countries.
- 75.7% of people in Bethlehem thought that most people in the
world would like to visit Bethlehem while only 17.1% of Americans
said they are likely to do so.
- Americans saw the major interest in Bethlehem in the following
order:
26) A 69% majority of Americans thought Bethlehem was unsafe and
saw safety as a key deterrent to visiting while 81.3% of people in
Bethlehem believed that Bethlehem was either very safe or somewhat
safe.
27) When asked about what factors would make them less supportive of
the wall in Bethlehem Americans put the their reasons in the
following order of importance:
- the wall hurts the life of communities regardless of their
faith or ethnic background 48.7%.
- The wall separates some Bethlehem families from one another
40%.
- The wall requires the seizure of privately owned land 38.7%
- The wall separates Bethlehem and Jerusalem, two cities that
have been historically interlinked and interdependent. 36.6%
- The wall jeopardises the sustainability of Bethlehem’s
Christian community. 30.5%
- The wall has been condemned by local and International
churches 25.8%
- The wall has been condemned by the international court of
justice. 25.2%
28) 74.4% of Americans believe it is neccessary to
protect the rights of Christian communities wherever they are. 71 %
agree that preserving the Christian community in Bethlehem will
protect and strengthen the Christian heritage of Bethlehem. 42.8% say
believe that preserving the Christian heritage of Bethlehem will
strengthen Christian communities worldwide.
29) 84.5% of people in Bethlehem said they were proud of being
Bethlehemites and only 4.8% said they would have prefered to come
from somewhere else.
A Brief analysis from Leila Sansour (CEO of Open
Bethlehem):
“This is the first time that such surveys have been carried out. The
findings are of great importance to us. We know that Bethlehem is very
isolated from the world and that little is known about us, but after
the survey we are confident that more can be done to bridge this gap.
It is obvious from the two surveys how many misconceptions Americans
have about our city, but also encouraging to learn that they care most
about those issues that concern our own citizens: community, faith,
property and our heritage. It was, perhaps, sobering to contrast the
widespread certainty, here in Bethlehem, that the world is desperate
to visit our city against the fact that so few Americans are actually
tempted to do so. We understand that the impression of lack of safety
is a major deterrent. We also know how forbidding the wall appears,
when one approaches our city. We need to work hard to send out our
message how safe and welcoming Bethlehem is. It was particularly
encouraging to learn that Americans would cite their main reason for
opposing the wall as the fact that it hurts the life of communities
regardless of their faith or ethnic background. This is how we want to
think of ourselves. Our community has embraced diversity for
centuries. It is a place where Muslims and Christians have always
lived together in harmony and continue to do so, despite the
increasing polarisation of our modern world whose mood occasionally
influences even our own environment.
“It is also encouraging to discover that despite the current situation
in Bethlehem a slight majority of Bethlehemites (53.8%) remain
optimistic about the future of our city. It was also gratifying to
learn that 44.1% of Americans would contibute to help preserve the
heritage of Bethlehem. We will continue working with the knowledge
that we have friends and potential allies in the States. As more
American learn about our situation, this can only improve the hope for
peace.
““Our US poll shows overwhelming support for Bethlehem’s Christian
heritage, yet our survey of Bethlehem’s own citizens shows the city
cannot retain this heritage and its Christian community while the wall
remains. The Israeli blockade and the land annexations by Israel are
strangling Bethlehem, forcing its Christian population to seek
livelihoods abroad.
“The choice is stark. Either the wall stays and Bethlehem ceases to be
a Christian town. Or Bethlehem retains its Christian population – in
which case the wall has to come down. The international community
needs to wake up to what is happening and choose.”
Footnotes:
Reports of the surveys will be available on Open Bethlehem website
www.openbethlehem.org
The survey will be presented at a press conference with Bethlehem
governor Mr Salah Al Taamari and Open Bethlehem CEO Leila Sansour
alongside local Bethlehemites who can expand on issues raised by the
survey in questions from the press.
12pm, Thursday 21/12/2006 at Bethlehem University, Bethlehem.
Press packs will be made available with all the polling data and a
full briefing on Bethlehem with detailed maps, photographs and
regional reports. Further details can be obtained from the Open
Bethlehem office.
For more information, interviews, maps, photos or survey reports
please contact:
Open Bethlehem
Manger Square, Bethlehem www.openbethlehem.org
Tel: +972-2-2777993 Fax: +972-2-2740139
e-mail: admin@openbethlehem.org
Nida Rishmawi: +970599940990
Austen Ivereigh: +44 7905224860
Leila Sansour, CEO (mobile): +972-547547921
Open Bethlehem – London Office
16-18 Strutton Ground, London SW1P 2HP
Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 2072228443
openbethlehem@openbethlehem.org
The Bethlehem survey was carried out by Palestinian Centre for
Research and Cultural Dialogue (PCRD). Dr Walid Shomaly. Tel:
+97222774707. Mobile: +972 545576290.
Other contacts in Bethlehem for press interest:
Carol Sansour Dabdoub
Public Relations Director
Bethlehem University
Tel: +972 2 2741241 ext: 2237
Fax: +972 2 2744440
www.bethlehem.edu
Dr. Jad Isaac. Director General, The Applied Research Institute -
Jerusalem (ARIJ). Bethlehem, Caritas ST, P.O. Box 860
Tel: + 972 - 2 - 274 1889 Fax: + 972 - 2 - 277 6966
Mobile: +972 (0)522 579 410
email: jad@arij.org website: www.arij.org
Nidal Abuzuluf. Assistant Director, YMCA Rehabilitation Program.
and the Coordinator Network of Christian Organizations in Bethlehem,
NCOB
455 Jerusalem Street, PO Box 73, Beit Sahour, Palestine
Tel: + 970 2 277 2713, 2185 Fax: + 970 2 277 2203
Mobile:+ 972 522 216 728
George-Anthony Ghattas. Country Representative, Holy Land Christian
Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF). Attan Str. Bethlehem
Tel. (+) 972 2 2750093 Fax: (+) 972 2 2750094
Email: gghattas@hcef.org.
The General Manager.Program Development Department (PDD), Latin
Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Jaffa Gate, Old City Jerusalem
(+) 972 2 2750891 Fax: (+) 972 2 2750893
Email: gghattas@netvision.net.il
Yusef Daher. Executive Director, Arab Hotel Association
10 Nur Eddin St. Jerusalem P.O.Box 66206
Tel:(+) 9722 6283140 Fax: 972 2 6283118
www.palestinehotels.com
Dr Bernard Sabella: Associate professor of sociology. Bethlehem
University.
Work: +97226271715
Mobile: +972 505234416
e-mail: dspr@netvision.net.il
Sami Awad. Executive Director, Holy Land Trust
529 Manger Street, Bethlehem.P. O. Box 737
Tel: +972 2 2765930 Fax: +972 2 2765931
Email: sami@holylandtrust.org Alternative email: palestine@holylandtrust.org
Website: www.holylandtrust.org
Michel Nasser. Director, Bethlehem Peace Center.
Manger Square. Bethlehem. P.O Box 1166
Tel: +97222766677 Fax: +97222741057
Mobile: +972599258725
Email: mangerb@p-ol.com
www.peacenter.org