Bethlehem and the West Bank, Bethlehem, Palestinian Authority

In order to get to Bethlehem, visitors must travel through the West Bank. For tourists, passing through the Israeli check point is generally problem free, but it is best to carry identification in case of a search.

While the West Bank is located on the east side of Israel, before the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, it was under Jordanian control. As a result, it’s name refers to being located on the West Bank of the Jordan River. Now the West Bank territory is part of the Palestinian National Authority but it is occupied by Israel, meaning the Israeli government controls the borders and supplies water and other utilities. This is the result of multiple events which include:

3. 1987-1991 - the First Intifada, a Palestinian rebellion in opposition of the Israeli military which led to the 1993 Oslo Accords.

4. 1993 - the Oslo Accords which established the Palestinian National Authority in an effort to create a peaceful two state option.

5. 2000-2005 - the Second Intifada, filled with many suicide bombings, which led to the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier and Israeli occupation.

Obviously the situation is far more complicated than the summary above, but those are some of the events which have led to the current state of the West Bank. The wall in particular is troublesome, because it did not completely follow the border of the West Bank and Israel and encroaches on Bethlehem. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).