Christmas trees 'provocative:' Nazareth suburb's mayor

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101222/wl_mideast_afp/israelreligionchristmasfeud

NAZARETH ILLIT, Israel (AFP) – The mayor of a Jewish suburb of Nazareth sparked outrage on Wednesday after refusing to allow Christmas trees to be placed in town squares, calling them provocative.

Predominantly Jewish Nazareth Illit, or Upper Nazareth, is adjacent to Nazareth, where Jesus is said to have spent much of his life. It has a sizable Arab Christian minority, as does mostly Muslim Nazareth itself.

"The request of the Arabs to put Christmas trees in the squares in the Arab quarter of Nazareth Illit is provocative," Mayor Shimon Gapso told AFP.

"Nazareth Illit is a Jewish city and it will not happen -- not this year and not next year, so long as I am a mayor," he said of the northern Israeli town.

"Nazareth is right next door and they can do what they want there," he said.

His decision angered the town's Arab and Christian minority, who accused him of racism.

"The racism of not putting a tree up is nothing compared to the real racism that we experience here," said Aziz Dahdal, a 35-year-old Christian resident of Nazareth Illit.

"When we asked the mayor to put up a Christmas tree in the Arab neighbourhoods of Nazareth Illit he said this is a Jewish town, not a mixed town," said Shukri Awawdeh, a Muslim Arab member of the town council.

Awawdeh said there were 10,000 Arabs, most of them Christian in the town and there was also a large community of Christian Russian immigrants.

"We told him that decorating a tree is just to share the happiness and cheer with other people in the town," said Awawdeh.

"People here, Jews, Christians and Muslims live in harmony, but when the mayor does something like that, it does not make things better."

Christmas festivities in the Holy Land focus on the West Bank town of Bethlehem, where Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus in a manger. But there are also events in Nazareth, where Jesus is believed to have grown up with his mother Mary and her husband Joseph.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Title edited to be less 'provocative' and remove sensationalist baiting. One post commenting on title removed.

Edited December 24, 2010 by Kathryn41

[peejay 327]

As long as Christians are allowed to display Christmas trees on their own private property and Hanukkah menorahs are similarly banned in public places in the spirit of secularism I see no reason for complaint.

[Danno 1,228]

Israel is not America and does not subscribe to the broad rights we enjoy here.

For instance, I was surprised to learn a Jew can not marry a non-jew.... even if the Jew is an Atheist.

If my understanding of marriage law is incorrect, I will welcome clarification.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Israel is not America and does not subscribe to the broad rights we enjoy here.

For instance, I was surprised to learn a Jew can not marry a non-jew.... even if the Jew is an Atheist.

If my understanding of marriage law is incorrect, I will welcome clarification.

With all the money American taxpayers and charities pump into Israel, is it ok for their government officials to promote one religion over another? Muslim governments are criticized here for policies favoring Islam. Is the same criticism applicable in this case?

Edited December 24, 2010 by Sofiyya

[Danno 1,228]

As long as Christians are allowed to display Christmas trees on their own private property and Hanukkah menorahs are similarly banned in public places in the spirit of secularism I see no reason for complaint.

Wait a minute do you have some reasonable expectation that Menorahs would be banned in Public places in Israel?

Or are you thinking this news story took place in the USA?

[peejay 327]

Wait a minute do you have some reasonable expectation that Menorahs would be banned in Public places in Israel?

Or are you thinking this news story took place in the USA?

I know it didn't take place in the USA. Unfortunately the only leverage we have is to cut aid to Israel. Not likely to happen. We use them and they use us. Life ain't perfect.

[james&olya 1,121]

With all the money American taxpayers and charities pump into Israel, is it ok for their government officials to promote one religion over another? Muslim governments are criticized here for policies favoring Islam. Is the same criticism applicable in this case?

I would like to see this story get some air-time on the fox 'news' noise machine. Probably won't happen though because their mission is not news, it is manipulation of weak-minded public opinion. Based on recent elections I will give them credit for considerable success in their despicable endeavor.

[peejay 327]

I would like to see this story get some air-time on the fox 'news' noise machine. Probably won't happen though because their mission is not news, it is manipulation of weak-minded public opinion. Based on recent elections I will give them credit for considerable success in their despicable endeavor.

Why do you pick on FOX? It isn't the only news outlet in the USA. Where else have you seen this story other than Yahoo? What other major news outlet has reported it besides Yahoo? I certainly haven't see it on the lame-stream network news outlets of NBC, CBS, & NBC.

[Danno 1,228]

Why do you pick on FOX? It isn't the only news outlet in the USA. Where else have you seen this story other than Yahoo? What other major news outlet has reported it besides Yahoo? I certainly haven't see it on the lame-stream network news outlets of NBC, CBS, & NBC.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I wouldn't mind seeing NYC baning any and all public displays of Hanukkah. We pour hundreds of millions of dollars into Israel and this is how they show their appreciation.

[james&olya 1,121]

Why do you pick on FOX? It isn't the only news outlet in the USA. Where else have you seen this story other than Yahoo? What other major news outlet has reported it besides Yahoo? I certainly haven't see it on the lame-stream network news outlets of NBC, CBS, & NBC.

Wow! 'lame stream media'! That is SO clever! Did you think of that one all by yourself? That is almost as good as my fox 'noise'!!

Seriously, no, I haven't seen it elsewhere. I suspect that there are many in positions of influence that would be unsympathetic to the idea of airing stories critical of Israel. Maybe we should start watching Al-Jazeera (spelling?).

[peejay 327]

I wouldn't mind seeing NYC baning any and all public displays of Hanukkah. We pour hundreds of millions of dollars into Israel and this is how they show their appreciation.

They already do. I doubt you will find any religious displays on government properties in NYC. Elsewhere is a different matter.

[peejay 327]

Wow! 'lame stream media'! That is SO clever! Did you think of that one all by yourself? That is almost as good as my fox 'noise'!!

Seriously, no, I haven't seen it elsewhere. I suspect that there are many in positions of influence that would be unsympathetic to the idea of airing stories critical of Israel. Maybe we should start watching Al-Jazeera (spelling?).

I am a clever guy, but I am not the originator of the term "lame stream media".

Al-Jazeera? Gimme a break!

[Danno 1,228]

Wow! 'lame stream media'! That is SO clever! Did you think of that one all by yourself? That is almost as good as my fox 'noise'!!

Seriously, no, I haven't seen it elsewhere. I suspect that there are many in positions of influence that would be unsympathetic to the idea of airing stories critical of Israel. Maybe we should start watching Al-Jazeera (spelling?).

sure...

As you're Channeling Keith Olbermann nightly.