Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh on Thursday accused the Palestinian Authority of failing to provide financial assistance to his city as it prepares to celebrate Christmas. In an urgent letter to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Batraseh called for solving Bethlehem's financial crisis as soon as possible. He pointed out that the new municipality has not received any funds from the PA since the last elections in May.
"There are many promises, but we haven't seen anything on the ground," Batarseh wrote. "Recently the Palestinian cabinet decided to allocate $50 million for decorating Bethlehem for Christmas, but until now we haven't received the money."
I did think $50 million was a might excessive for Christmas decorations in a town as small as modern Bethlehem, and I admit I was tempted to kick-in a couple boxes of bulbs and lights from Canadian Tire to help offset the costs – it is Bethlehem after all, but then I read this:
According to Batarseh, the municipality has been forced to take loans from different banks to complete the decorations, including setting up a Christmas tree in Manger Square. "Over the past two months we were also forced to take loans from banks to pay salaries for the municipality workers," the mayor told the Bethlehem-based Palestine News Network Agency. He also complained about Israeli security measures around the city, which, he added, are threatening to spoil the atmosphere in Bethlehem on the eve of Christmas.
I can't afford to support anyone elses municipal workers but what ruins the whole Christmas in Bethlehem atmosphere for me would be to be shot, kassamed, stabbed or blown-up in a bus. My advice to the Mayor; forget the PA, throw out the terrorists and then the Israelis will close the checkpoints. That way the tourists will know it is safe to come back and spend money. You will then have the money to pay the municipal workers. You’ll have created what I call a real win-win scenario.
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