wfn.org | Bethlehem Streets, Infrastructure Are Devastated in Attack

[JerusalemRelOrgs@aol.com]

Contact: Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb
General Director
Tel: ++972 2 276 4696
Fax: ++972 2 277 0048
Web: http://www.annadwa.org/

Worst invasion in centuries, Pastor Raheb says

JERUSALEM, April 3, 2002--Word is filtering out from Bethlehem describing the 
devastation to the city streets and the infrastructure from the current 
attack by Israeli military.

The Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, pastor of the Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church 
and director of the International Center there, has sent an email asserting 
that the attack that Israeli's call an "incursion," is in fact "the worst 
invasion since decades if not centuries."

Raheb and his family, who yesterday were reportedly confined to upper floors 
of their home adjoining the historic church, are unhurt.

As a community leader, the popular Lutheran pastor was a prime mover on the 
eve of the millenium to see that the city's streets were repaved in local 
stone.  They had fallen into acute disrepair during the long years of the 
occupation.  He now reports that "the beautiful stone-paved streets around 
Christmas Lutheran Church are devastated. The tanks were standing around our 
Church and firing at the center of the old town. The entrance to our 
parsonage, car age and staircase were destroyed. Most of the shops on Paul 
VI. Street were totally damaged."

Raheb, who also directs the new Bethlehem Media Center (organized with help 
from churches in America and Europe), now reports that "Journalists are 
forbidden in entering the city to cover the cruelty of occupation."

To help provide creative employment in the area, the International Center 
opened an Arts and Crafs workshop.  Raheb now reports that "Our workshops, 
where we are trying to train young women to earn their livelihood, to 
appreciate beauty, experienced great destruction."

In his email, Pastor Raheb writes that "The offices of our architect and 
engineer also experienced much vandalism. The apartment of our volunteers as 
well. My office was hit too, this is why I can't write as usual.  I hope that 
our communication specialist will be able to post some of the pictures I took 
on our website. Please check there in few hours. These are first reports of 
what is going on here."

During the Gulf War, when Israelis confined Raheb and his family under 
24-hour a day curfew, the Lutheran pastor wrote a book, "I am a Palestinian 
Christian" that was published in the U.S.A. by Fortress Press.

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