FoxNation Documentary on Bethlehem Avoids Obvious Conclusions

Admin Sun 08 Dec 2019, 12:45 pm

FoxNation Documentary on Bethlehem Avoids Obvious Conclusions
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2019/12/foxnation-documentary-on-bethlehem-avoids-obvious-conclusions
DEC 7, 2019 9:00 AM BY MARK KOENIG4 COMMENTS
FoxNation.com, Fox News’ pay-for-streaming-content service, recently produced a worthwhile one-hour documentary entitled “Battle in Bethlehem,” hosted by Pete Hegseth. Unfortunately, as is all too common with mainstream media today, the program fails to identify or state clearly the obvious truth regarding Islam’s antipathy towards all other faiths. Islam is, in fact, the reason that the “battle in Bethlehem” exists today, and that Christians have all but abandoned the town. This fact is, however, never stated.

The documentary begins by explaining the significance of Bethlehem to Christians, then informs us that the town is part of “Area A,” which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Area A is one of three jurisdictions created after the Oslo accords. Areas A and B are under the control of the PA and contain not a single Jew. In fact, Jews are forbidden by law to enter these areas. Area C, which is controlled by Israel, is home to and/or the workplace of many Christians, Jews and “Palestinians.”

Hegseth then takes us inside the Church of the Nativity, originally built as a shrine over Jesus’ birthplace by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine in A.D. 330. It is today a Greek Orthodox church visited by hundreds of Christians from around the world each year. Directly opposite this church on “Manger Square” is located the Mosque of Omar, built in 1860 and named for the 2nd Muslim Caliph. Loudspeakers pointed directly at the Church of the Nativity blast the Muslim call to prayer five times daily, and the town has an increasingly Muslim majority.

We are informed about the history of Bethlehem and its control from the founding of the modern state of Israel in 1948 through the 1967 Six-Day War to the five-week siege in 2002, during which 200 monks and visitors were held hostage in the Church of the Nativity for 39 days until being liberated by Israeli forces. In 2002, we are told, Israel began the construction of a high-security fence/wall after suffering many civilian casualties as a result of PA-sponsored suicide bombers.

Hegseth interviews former Israeli National Security Advisor Yakov Amidor, who explains that casualties dropped by 99% after completion of the barrier. Amidor states that Palestinians who loudly complain that they now live in an “open-air prison” have only themselves to blame. In an apparent effort to present “both sides” of the story, Hegseth then interviews Palestinian activist Issa Amro, who claims that the wall is not for security, and exists only for the purpose of “controlling Palestinians.” Hegseth, to his credit, does challenge this narrative, but then speaks with the Palestinian manager of a boutique hotel beside the wall, who claims Palestinians “have no problem with Jews” and that they now live under “Israeli occupation.” Also interviewed is a Palestinian coffee shop owner who states that Palestinians “live in a big jail,” and also that this is ultimately America’s fault since it supports Israel. Hegseth fails to challenge this assessment.

American journalist and pro-Israel Christian Brian Schauger tells Hegseth about his 2014 arrest by the PA after he reported on an anti-Israel conference held in Beit Jala – an area controlled by the PA. Schauger was strongly urged by PA police during his interrogation to leave this area for his own safety. Schauger also tells Hegseth that he will have great difficulty persuading any Christians living in PA-controlled territory to speak on camera due to their fear of persecution as a result. We are told that FoxNation attempted to set up multiple interviews with such Christians, only to have every one of them back out at the last minute, even when assured they would have their identities concealed.

Mazin Qumsiyeh, a Palestinian Christian professor at Bethlehem University, tells Hegseth when asked about Islamic “radicals” that there are “radicals among Christians and Jews – terrorists, even.” Qumsiyeh goes on to state that there are “7.5 million displaced Palestinians – this is their country.” He then asserts that Hamas was only founded in 1988, but that there has been 100 years of “resistance” against the “Zionist colonizers,” all without rebuttal from Hegseth.

As recently as 1979, the population of Bethlehem was 85% Christian. By 1990, that percentage had dropped to 50%. Hegseth’s interviewees attribute this to various political and economic factors, without challenge. As an aside, an Israeli law professor informs us that a two-state solution for peace with Israel has been rejected four times by the PA, and that only foreign diplomats seem to support this idea.

Finally, Hegseth visits a tattoo parlor in Bethlehem owned by Christian tattoo artist Walid Ayash. As Ayash tattoos Hegseth’s forearm with the name of Jesus in Hebrew lettering, we learn that even he is unwilling to offer any criticism of the Palestinian majority in the town. His only comment regarding this is that he and other Christians want to live in peace.

While one might think that at least Fox News might identify Islam’s intolerance of other faiths as the reason for the ongoing “battle in Bethlehem” and the larger ongoing aggression against Israel, this proves not to be the case. Hegseth concludes his documentary with this insipid statement: “As the people here go about their daily lives, their lives are shaped by international politics, intractable religious beliefs and 3,000 years of complicated history.”

Complicated? Not so, if American journalists such as Hegseth would simply point out that Islam is incompatible with the Western idea of human rights and as such, will (barring a major reformation) forever be at war with non-Muslims. Far from there being “two sides” to this story, the reality is that there is truth and then there are lies. Sadly, even Fox News evidently lacks the courage to say this.