Bethlehem Archives

Bethlehem’s Patron Saint of Puppies

If you’ve traveled to India, Mexico, Amman, Jordan –– you see that dogs don’t have it so good. They are kicked, wounded, abused, and in some places poisoned or shot on sight, nursling puppies killed in front of their mothers and then left to rot in a garbage dumpster. Or litters of puppies and kittens tossed out of the windows of speeding cars. Or puppies kicked around like soccer balls. This is what happens in holy cities like Bethlehem, says Diana George Babish, who cries about the state of animal rights in her home city, run by the Palestinian Authority.

Refutrees Scratches Eco and Social Itches with Refugee Projects

Today is World Refugee Day. Some good news for a change: Refutrees is a new non-profit that’s turning the traditional aid-centric model of development on its head. These self-described “creativity agents” place particular focus on people displaced over the long-term. They’re currently working on projects for Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and Lebanon.

Palestinian Villagers and Israeli Environmentalists Join Forces to Protect Ancient Artefacts

Palestinian villagers have joined forces with Israeli environmentalists to stop the separation wall from destroying ancient agricultural artefacts which will soon be declared a world heritage site by UNESCO Ancient stone-walled terraces and a unique natural irrigation system in the village of Battir near Bethlehem may have been spared destruction from an Israeli metal and […]

Refugee Camp in Bethlehem Sprouts Green Rooftops

Supported by the women’s group Karama, families in Bethlehem’s Dheisheh refugee camp have begun growing fresh food on their rooftops Cramped conditions in the Dheisheh refugee camp of Bethlehem mean that any space – nevermind green space – is difficult to come by. The streets are narrow, families live in small homes and parks and […]

Palestinian and Israeli Wind Companies Create Energy Venture for Peace

Ira wrote about the Palestinian-Israeli wind power cooperation deal last week. Karin updates us with details on how Brothers Engineering Group plans on rolling out new business with Israel Wind Energy. A path toward peace may be blowing in the wind, if a new wind energy project between a Palestinian and an Israeli company succeeds. […]

New Wind Venture Seen as Bridge of Peace Across the Green Line

Representatives of Israeli and Palestinian partner companies pose after reaching agreement on joint venture for wind power. (Courtesy photo) Cynics might say that diplomatic attempts to foster Palestinian-Israeli relations are too often “full of hot air.” But a new green Israeli-Palestinian initiative aims to put politics aside and harness the winds blowing across the Green […]

Palestinian Farmers Look to Export Fair Trade Grapes

The southern West Bank is known for its grapes, which Palestinians grow with little to no water on small plots. Often the vineyards are simple grape trees, without wires to support or encourage the plants to spread out. This month, I wrote a piece for the Jerusalem Report on Odeh Sabarna (left), who runs the […]

Palestinians Repair Crumbling Infrastructure to Weather Water Crisis

(A view of flood water in an olive grove in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, last October. The filthy water killed about 30 olive trees. Photo from Ma’an News). The regional water crisis has hit the West Bank and Gaza hard, and the Palestinian Water Authority is rushing to repair crumbling infrastructure to maximize the little […]