More than 70 per cent of Palestinians residing in Bethlehem, the town of Jesus’ birth, now live below the poverty line following cuts in international aid to the new Palestinian Authority…
More than 70 per cent of Palestinians residing in Bethlehem, the town of Jesus’ birth, now live below the poverty line following cuts in international aid to the new Palestinian Authority, now led by the militant Islamist movement Hamas, says an advocacy group representing local residents. Open Bethlehem cites figures from Britains Christian Aid saying three out of four Palestinians will be living below the UN poverty line of an income of 1.1 British pounds (US$1.85) a day by 2008. It called on “church leaders, clergy, lay Christians and all who care about peace and justice to speak out against the EU [European Union] sanctions and support the people of Bethlehem at this critical time”.
