The Biblical birthplace of Jesus has been cut off by Israeli road blocks and checkpoints

'The holy land does not need walls, but bridges' - Pope John Paul ll

Bethlehem, the Biblical birthplace of Jesus has been cut off by the Israeli road blocks and checkpoints. This has forced residents to leave the land of the birth of Christ.

• 200,000 Palestinian Christians live in Jerusalem, descedants of the world’s oldest Christian communities.

• Israel regularly denies entry to Bethlehem during Easter celebrations undermining religious freedom.

• The Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jesrusalem is a major centre for Christians. Sadly, the Israeli occupation means many will never see it.

• Bethlehem has a population of 22,000 Palestinians, of which 4,000 are Christian, making up 18% of Bethlehem’s total population.

• Israel’s apartheid wall surrounds Bethlehem on three sides, israeli soldiers control entrance and exit, making it hard for people to visit.

• Tens of thousands of residents of Bethlehem are refugees, living in crowded camps since Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinian land in 1948.