''I have been impressed with history's paradox—the
birthplace of the Prince of Peace and the three great monotheistic
religions is also a center of human suffering and conflict. Bethlehem
Besieged is a wonderful book by a man of rare insight who fully
understands those familiar lines, 'Yet in the dark street shineth
the everlasting light. . . .'''
— George McGovern, former U.S. Senator
and President of the Middle East Policy Council
''A Palestinian narrative of suffering
and sacrifice that is infused with hope—this is a story that
has cried out to be told.''
— James J. Zogby, President of the
Arab American Institute, Washington, D. C.
''Once again 'the hopes and fears
of all the years' seem to focus on Bethlehem. Its painful
history, stubborn hopefulness, and indefatigable spirit shine through
the pages of this remarkable but deeply troubling book. It is
required reading for anyone who wants to understand the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its importance for the whole
world.''
— Harvey G. Cox, Hollis Professor of
Divinity, Harvard Divinity School
''This is a heartrending account of
what has happened to ordinary people...and how they have lived and
survived under siege by Israeli soldiers in Bethlehem, the birthplace
of the Prince of Peace. It should shake us out of complicity with the
injustice being visited on ordinary people. I hope it will do that
for many...in the West who have perhaps too easily accepted the
stereotype of violent Palestinians. Peace without justice for the
Palestinians is impossible. Israel will be safe and secure only when
justice happens for the Palestinians.''
— Desmond Tutu, former Archbishop of
Cape Town, South Africa
''A pastor's home under military
bombardment, his young daughters dodging machine-gun fire, elderly
neighbors bleeding to death because ambulances are denied
access—these are the painful and poignant images of war hidden
behind the headlines of the Israeli siege of Bethlehem. Mitri
Raheb's personal account replaces faceless statistics with
traumatic stories of innocent persons caught in the crossfire of
political hatred. With faith and hope, he challenges us to overcome
our sins of indifference and insensitivity to the plight of the
Palestinians and calls us to work for new relationships among Jews,
Muslims, and Christians.''
— Donald E. Messer, Henry White Warren
Professor of Practical Theology and President Emeritus, Iliff School
of Theology, Denver, Colorado
''A powerful, first-person account...that brings the story
alive, the fear as well as the hope....Within the glimpses of life
during these heart-stopping days, we see the seeds of hope for
reconciliation that lie in faith, and in simple, helpful gestures
that cross the lines of division. Bethlehem Besieged is a
reminder that peace is always possible.''
— Rev. Kent Winters-Hazelton,
President, The Witherspoon Society, Presbyterian Church (USA)
'' Bethlehem Besieged allows the readers to be a part
of the community under siege in this most famous town....It also
tells powerful stories of healing and of rebuilding a sense of
community in a place of deep brokenness. It is a story we can all
learn from.''
— Bernice Powell Jackson, Executive
Minister, Justice and Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ
''Once again, Rev. Mitri Raheb renders wise, poignant, and
complex reflections about the plight of the Palestinians. This book
is the living testimony of an Arab Palestinian Christian leader who
has been helping to nurture...real promise of hope for a just peace
in the Holy Land. Bethlehem Besieged is a book you must
read....''
— Rateb Y. Rabie, President, Holy Land
Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF)
'' Bethlehem Besieged is first a document of horror
and hope about the plight and possibilities that confront the
Palestinian people. But it is also more. As a Jew I see this story as
a warning to the Jewish people that we are becoming almost everything
we loathed about our oppressors. For me, Mitri Raheb's gentle
anger is a prophetic call to Jews in Israel and beyond to stop and
reverse course before it is too late....A gripping real-life
story....''
— Marc H. Ellis, Professor of American
and Jewish Studies, Baylor University
''Mitri Raheb's book Bethlehem Besieged gives the
readers a deep, although short, look into the lives of the
Palestinian people. It shows the human dimensions of the Palestinian
people, who are often dehumanized by the media....This book is a
message of peace.''
— Mohammad Darawshe, Director of
Public Relations, Givat Haviva Jewish Arab Center of Peace and
Co-Founder of OneVoice MidEast Peace Initiative
''This is not a resource to be picked
up and read. Instead, it is an experience to be lived and shared with
others! These are stories of health and hope, of Good Fridays and
Easters, of worries, wars, and woes, with a few 'wows' thrown
in. Mitri Raheb is a 'divine irritant' who must be heard and
experienced....''
— Rich Bimler, President, Wheat Ridge
Ministries, Itasca, Illinois
''Mitri Raheb's personal and
moving chronicle of Bethlehem's siege reveals a little-known and
rarely acknowledged human narrative of the Palestinian people's
quest for dignity and freedom, even in the midst of devastation and
pain. The struggle to endure and rebuild despite the Israeli
occupation's persistent brutal assaults is a tribute to the
unvanquished spirit of the 'ordinary' Palestinian. It is part
of Raheb's passionate message to hold on to the spirit of
resurrection and his insistence on seeing a beacon of hope where it
is easy to see only darkness and despair.''
— Hanan Ashrawi Palestinian Rights
Activist, Founder, Palestinian Independent Commission for
Citizen's Rights Sydney Peace Prize recipient
