Photostory: Gate Bethlehem

Surrounded by Israel’s Wall on two sides and with many restricted roads and roadblocks, Bethlehem has become a prison. (M. El Fassed-Vermeer)

The main historic street leading into Bethlehem is being completely cut off by Israel’s Wall. (M. El Fassed-Vermeer)

The Wall has already disrupted the lives of thousands of Palestinians who have been cut off from their lands and have been prevented from reaching other villages and population centers. (M. El Fassed-Vermeer)


To a visitor wishing to reach the holy sites in Bethlehem, the concrete barrier erected at the entrance of the city is the most visible manifestation of its physical separation from other towns and villages. (M. El Fassed-Vermeer)

For Palestinian residents of Bethlehem, the Wall is the latest of a series of restrictions, including dirt mounds, road gates, checkpoints and roadblocks - known collectively as ‘closure’ – that have been implemented over the past decade and which cut the historical road that connects Jerusalem to Bethlehem and Hebron in the south. (M. El Fassed-Vermeer)

Related Links

  • BY TOPIC: Israel’s Apartheid Wall
  • BY TOPIC: Restrictions on Movement
  • The Sound of Music, Toine van Teeffelen (8 June 2005)