Barack Obama, the worst president in the history of the United States, built this.
Palestinian protesters dressed as Father Christmas were tear gassed by the Israeli Army as fights broke out in Bethlehem yesterday.
Violence flared up in the West Bank city revered as the birthplace of Jesus as demonstrators attempted to reach nearby Jerusalem.
Palestinians said they wanted to visit holy sites there but without permits they were stopped at Israel’s West Bank separation barrier.
Video footage showed Israeli security forces blocking the demonstrators at the Bethlehem checkpoint where the scuffles erupted. One man in a Santa outfit was seen throwing a tear gas grenade back at Israelis and another was lying on the floor after inhaling the gas. No-one was killed.
One demonstrator, Fareed al Atrash, said: ‘We are here today in order to reach Jerusalem for religious rituals. ‘We want to reach the Palestinian capital Jerusalem and we want to say that this land is a Palestinian land and it is our right to reach our lands.’
The organiser of the demonstration, Monther Amirah, said in Arabic: ‘We are in this protest to say that the occupation and the terrorism are two faces of the same coin and we want to say to the whole world that the Palestinians are facing organised terrorism from the occupation and that we will continue to resist this Nazi occupation.’
At least 231 Palestinians have been killed in violence in Israel, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip since October 2015. Israel says at least 156 of them were assailants in lone attacks often targeting security forces and using rudimentary weapons including kitchen knives.
Others died during clashes and protests. The street assaults killed at least 33 Israelis and two visiting Americans over the same period. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war.
The Palestinians want that territory, along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip for a future state. Peace talks between the sides broke down in 2014.
Today’s scenes in Bethlehem offered stark contrast as Christmas preparations were in full swing with marching bands and clergy processing through the streets.
HT – Kdhouse