The fake news media narrative circulating the past few days goes something like this: President Donald [Trump]’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital set off an “eruption of violence,” thus dampening the mood in Bethlehem and keeping tourists this Christmas season from one of the holiest cities in Christianity.
Less than two weeks ago, Nazareth’s Muslim mayor cracked down on Christians because of Trump’s decision, and banned traditional Christmas celebrations, which included the cancellation of traditional outdoor caroling and Christmas plays. So it is Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority that are the Grinches who stole Christmas from Bethlehem, not Trump.
This kind of behavior and the narrative that Trump is to blame, not the Palestinians, is not new. There is a general rule at play that goes something like this: if any infidels insult, upset or hurt the feelings of Islamic supremacists (when their religion is involved), there is a risk of violence; therefore, the solution is not to provoke Islamic supremacists and jihadists. If infidels do, then no accountability is attributed to the violent perpetrators. This demonstrates one of two points:
i. That the will of the Muslim is supreme over all others and must be obeyed;
ii. That Muslims are expected to be violent if “made” to feel upset, thus sustaining the soft bigotry of low expectations. It is like the wife-beater claiming his wife made him do it. Anyone knows that in civilized society this is unacceptable; but it is somehow deemed to be acceptable for Muslims, which is not a positive commentary on how Muslims are regarded by many.
The US is a sovereign nation and should be allowed to recognize the historic Jerusalem as the capital of Israel without an outbreak of violence. The PA is no innocent entity, with its goal to obliterate Israel. No action that supports the Jewish state of Israel and its historical ties to Jerusalem will ever be accepted by the Palestinians.
Western nations need to stop regarding Muslims as lesser in terms of civility and reasoning.
Now as a result of Palestinian violence, not the Trump declaration, Christians have to endure the dampened mood in Israel, on top being largely driven out of Bethlehem and the surrounding regions due to Islamic persecution.
“KLEIN: Abbas, Not Trump, Is the Grinch Who Stole Bethlehem Christmas”, by Aaron Klein, Breitbart, December 25, 2017:
The fake news media narrative circulating the past few days goes something like this: President Donald [Trump]’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital set off an “eruption of violence,” thus dampening the mood in Bethlehem and keeping tourists this Christmas season from one of the holiest cities in Christianity.
In other words, the news media is falsely claiming that Trump is the Grinch who stole Bethlehem Christmas. A simple reality check is in order here.
A Jerusalem Post article was wildly titled, “In Bethlehem, Trump Blamed for Dampening Christmas Joy.” The piece referred to a “Donald Trump effect” on Manger Square. “The square – normally thronged on Christmas Eve – had plenty of vacant space. And most of the people who were there were Palestinians, not foreign tourists,” the article complained.
One widely circulated AP article is titled, “Jerusalem violence, rain put damper on Bethlehem Christmas.” The missive claims that tourists “appeared to be deterred by clashes that have broken out in recent weeks between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces” following Trump’s Jerusalem decision.
Scores of other mainstream news media articles painted similarly distorted pictures.
No, clashes did not “break out.” Contrary to the warped, Alice Through the Lookingglass lens through which the news media view the Mideast, violence does not spontaneously “erupt” like some sort of weather anomaly.
The “violence” in this case has been entirely and openly orchestrated. For the past few weeks, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian leaders have used Trump’s Jerusalem decision to publically call for anti-Israel riots in a cynical attempt to once again collapse any prospects for peace. Abbas and his PA crew are singularly responsible for all of the ensuring clashes, and for any resultant impact on Bethlehem.