Barack Obama to visit Bethlehem

RAMALLAH, Palestinian
Territories (AFP) – US
President Barack Obama
will visit the Church of the
Nativity in Bethlehem,
where Christians believe Jesus was born, when he
visits the region next week,
Palestinian sources said. The Palestinian Authority
was officially informed by US authorities that Obama
would travel to Bethlehem
in the Israeli-occupied West
Bank to visit the site where Christians believe Mary
gave birth to Jesus in a
stable, the sources said. Obama begins a three-day
visit to Israel and the
Palestinian territories on
March 20, Israel said on
Sunday, in the first official
announcement of the much- anticipated visit — his first
as president. He will hold talks with
Israeli officials in
Jerusalem and travel to
Ramallah in the West
Bank, seat of the
Palestinian Authority, and Bethlehem on March 21. On June 29 the UN cultural
body UNESCO overrode
Israeli objections to
urgently grant world
heritage status to the
Church of the Nativity. UNESCO's 13-6 secret vote
to add the Church of the
Nativity and its pilgrimage
route to the prestigious list
was received with a round
of rousing applause and a celebratory fist pump by
the beaming head of the
Palestinian delegation, and
deep disappointment from
Israeli ally Washington. The US delegation to
UNESCO said at the time
that it was "profoundly
disappointed," while
stressing that "this body
should not be politicised."