Beyond the city limits

According to the Israeli authorities, Bethlehem is a dangerous place to go. So we went to find out for ourselves

By Seth Freedman
The Guardian

".....Demonising the "other" is the easiest way to convince a public that an entire people are dangerous enemies who must be avoided at all costs. Israel's far from alone in its practising of this method - the Daily Mail's scaremongering about Polish immigrants, the Sun's rabble-rousing about Gypsies, and so on, are all perfect examples of England's own hysteria when it comes to people slightly different from themselves.

However, when a wall's in place and a strict ban on even having contact with the "other" is enforced, the sense of separation and fear of what lies beyond the city limits is amplified many times over. And that is one of the most potent weapons in Israel's arsenal as it seeks to convince its people that we're better off alone, and better off doing anything we can to keep it that way for years and years to come."