I have been privileged to visit Bethlehem more than 40 times out of more than 60 total visits to Israel. The first time was in 1964. Now it is sadly listed among the places, like London (my hometown) and Cairo that I never will visit again. In 1995 the birthplace of the Prince of Peace was turned over to the “Palestinian Authority” under the terms of the Oslo Peace Accord.
At the time of my first visit to Bethlehem it was under occupation by the Jordanian army as was most of Jerusalem. There was a “Berlin Wall” of barbed wire and sentry towers between what the United Nations defined as Israel and the part occupied by Jordan. One needed a passport and special visas to go from one side to the other.
