IN STEREO

Look, the cradle of Christ exists in Bethlehem, [so] it has become a touristic city. I mean, why does a foreigner come to the region of Bethlehem? They consider it a pilgrimage [like] Muslims go to Hijaz. A visit to the cradle of Christ. When we first opened [the souvenir store], we had a good beginning. [But] then, when the American president moved the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, life was disrupted. Circulation is over, not only here but in the whole region. People became afraid [that] a war may occur, problems may occur, troubles and things. So circulation has stayed quite calm until today. There is no tourist like before. Basically, when tourists come to Bethlehem, when they come to me, they come penniless. Those ones arrive at [Tel Aviv] airport. [Talking to a pedestrian: “Welcome sir, come in!” Tourist: “I want to see magnets… We want something for Bethlehem.”]

The Jewish-Israelis take them to souvenir stores, and they arrive to us almost broke. It’s rare that people come here with money and buy. This is the tourism situation, in my opinion. At first, it was excellent, in the past. I mean, after ‘67, this square was open. Tourist buses used to station in this square, and the tourists used to hang around in the area. Bethlehem’s mayor came, one before whose name is Hanna Nasser. Almost ten, 15 years ago, he closed this square, banned the buses. Now the tourist bus goes down to the parking lot and pays the municipality. When it used to station in the square, there was excellent circulation. Translators came to me; taxi drivers came; tourists came. I mean, this area was really the best and the liveliest in Bethlehem. When they transferred the buses to the compound, it was over. – Mahmud