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No venom here
Though most of Hammer's book dwells on the violence of the Muslim Ta'amra tribe, an interesting portrait of the Bethlehem area's Christians emerges from his account.

These Christians, Hammer notes, "were subject to the same hardships as everyone else." Yet, "the venom toward Israel that [he] frequently heard in Palestinian Muslim homes was noticeably absent here." The Christians he interviewed "heaped scorn on the Ta'amra fighters who had made the lives of Beit Jalans hellish." One particular family told him they were Palestinian nationalists,

but the al-Aqsa intifada had tested their loyalties. The corruption of Arafat's inner circle disgusted them; they were furious at the leadership for instigating the uprising. They were also angry at Israel for its brutal acts of retaliation … [b]ut Israel was like an older brother who had lost his way, whereas the Palestinian Authority under Arafat, they believed, could never be trusted.

This Christian suspicion of the Ta'amra stems from incidents in 1936 during the Arab Revolt against the British mandate. Over the years, various Muslim groups tried to buy property in Beit Jala and to change its Christian character. During the 1980s, Christian residents saw big changes and many emigrated. The Palestinian Authority came to power in 1995, and according to Hammer, local Christians consider that event "the turning point toward catastrophe." A long-term Christian mayor died the next year, setting the stage for further Muslim encroachments. By 1999, the Christian citizens of Beit Jala, wrote the U.S. embassy and "accused the Palestinian Authority of plotting to drive out the Christian population and replace them with Muslims. 'In ten years,' the letter declared, 'we fear that there will be only a few Christians left in Beit Jala.' "

Snipers' nests
In the fall of 2000, all hell broke loose. Christian families in Beit Jala found their homes invaded by the Tanzim militia, who found them particularly convenient spots for sniping at Israeli residents in the Jerusalem suburb of Gilo. The Israeli Defense Force fired back from positions in Gilo, knocking out windows, pockmarking walls with bullet holes, and igniting fires. Many Christians sought security elsewhere, and Muslim militiamen took over their homes to continue the assault. Meanwhile, the gangsterlike members of the Ta'amra family were terrorizing local Christian businessmen and extorting protection money from them. Repeated appeals to Yasser Arafat and the corrupt Palestinian Authority brought no relief.

Christians told Hammer they were sure that the militia used their homes not only because of the excellent vantage point for firing on Gilo, but because the Muslim leaders felt that the Christians were not sufficiently radicalized, and they hoped that putting them in the crossfire would draw them directly into the conflict.

By March 2002, the militia had taken over central Bethlehem as well. They had driven out the police and become the de facto rulers of the terrorized town. With a cocky assurance, one of the leaders told Hammer that, even though the Israeli military was looking for him, he felt perfectly secure in Manger Square. "The Israelis know that they can't come in here," he said. "There are lots of alleyways and corners and rooftops where our guys can ambush them. Second, this is one of the holy Christian sites. It would be a propaganda defeat if they came in and shot it up."

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December 2003, Vol. 47, No. 12