Jews, Christians join forces to aid Bethlehem's coronavirus victims
The group delivered ibuprofen, multi-vitamins, gloves, masks and snacks, and also helped the American tourists quarantined at the Angel Hotel in Beit Jala near Bethlehem.
By ALEX WINSTONAn entrance of the Church of the Nativity is seen locked amid coronavirus precautions, in Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank March 11, 2020(photo credit: REUTERS/MUSTAFA GANEYEH)
Jewish and Christian Israeli volunteers came together this week to deliver supplies to residents of Bethlehem who are suffering from coronavirus.The project, started by The Jerusalemite Initiative and the Shai Fund NGO, came about after members of Bethlehem's Christian community contacted their counterparts in Jerusalem to ask for assistance.The group delivered ibuprofen, multi-vitamins, gloves, masks and snacks, and also aided the quarantined tourists at the Angel Hotel in Beit Jala near Bethlehem."Troubled times also bring opportunities to build bridges," The Jerusalem Initiative said in a press release. "By our actions, we are expressing our solidarity with the residents of Bethlehem, and we pray that the corona crisis will pass as soon as possible, allowing humanity to return to normality."Jewish and Christian Israeli volunteers provide aid to Bethlehem's citizens suffering from coronavirus, March 2020 (Photo Credit: Jerusalem Initiative)At least two dozen people in Bethlehem have contracted coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.Bethlehem has been in lockdown for over a week, following the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health's confirming the first seven cases of coronavirus in the city and in neighboring Beit Jala. Mosques in the Bethlehem area were also closed on Sunday to prevent the spread of the disease.The Jerusalemite Initiative is a non-profit organization with the aim of “empowering Arabic-speaking Israeli Christian Jerusalemites of all denominations who are proud of belonging to Israel” and helping them integrate into Israeli society.The Shai Fund is an NGO that provides humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
