Nor have the Italians, Norwegians and others from Bethlehem's many foreign NGOs which turned out to support the rapprochement. It is primarily the Palestinians who had disappeared, save for the handful from the PCR that led the protest. Those who were around tended to be over 35, married with children or older women from Bethlehem's villages and refugee camps and in rare possession of the Israeli permit card required to pass the Bethlehem checkpoint. To a person, they skirted the demonstration with barely a second glance. This is a military Intifada.
Peaceful protests are useless now.
He has a point. Battir is a village of 3,000 Palestinians whose ancient stone houses tumble down a gorge that once marked the pre-1967 Green Line. Nuhum Korman lives in Beitar Illit. Last December, Beitar Illit settlers joined Israeli soldiers in a raid on Husan that left 25 Palestinians wounded, two of them critically. In response, Palestinian guerrillas fired on Gilo.