Ma'an -- The Nativity Church deportees appealed on Monday to President Mahmoud Abbas to intervene in their case and secure their return to Bethlehem, following eight years of forced exile in the Gaza Strip.
| The poor, suffering darlings try that appeal to the authorities from time to time, always with the same result. |
During a news conference, which proceeded a rally by the deportees' families to the headquarters of the Red Cross in Gaza, they called on international institutes and human rights organizations to assist in their return to Bethlehem.
Moreover, the deportees called for an end to Palestinian political rivalry and for holding general elections across the occupied territories. | Clearly dealing with the situation in a "realistic" fashion. |
In 2002, during Operation Defensive Shield, the Israeli army occupied Bethlehem in an attempt to capture Palestinian militants. As a result, many sought refuge in the Church of the Nativity. Following a 39-day siege on the church, the Palestinians who turned themselves in and were exiled to Europe and the Gaza Strip. |