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CNN Live Saturday

Life Changed Drastically for Bethlehem Residents

Aired May 11, 2002 - 22:08   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: During the Church of the Nativity standoff, Bethlehem residents endured the longest curfew in some 10 years. They were forced to stay behind closed doors, or risk being arrested, perhaps shot, but standoff is over now. That curfew's been lifted. And life has changed dramatically.

CNN'S Carol Lin shows us the before and after.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 38 long days, Bethlehem looked like a holy city of ghosts. Not a soul to be found on the streets. Look at Bethlehem today. The shops are open. And all over the city, neighbors are smiling and reuniting after the long siege.

(on camera): This is a normal day in Bethlehem. We're trying to make our way now to Manger Square. I get the feeling we're going to be late for our next interview.

(voice-over): We inched through the now crowded streets to meet Imad Nasser.

Sorry we were late, but look at this.

Emad was in charge of Bethlehem's massive renovation for the millenium celebration. But look, he says, at what happened to his work.

IMAD NASSER, BETHLEHEM REHAB MANAGER: There was a heavy fight here in this area actually.

LIN: He walked us through what's left of Bethlehem's old market, past the burned out shops and crushed cars. Sweden had donated nearly $3 million to renovate this market back in 1999.

NASSER: It's a hard job now to convince the people to come and to invest again here, for there is not guarantee that once you do the work again, it will not be destroyed again.

LIN: How many times have they had to go back in and repair their stores in the last few years?

NASSER: This is the fourth time, I think. This is the fourth time maybe.

LIN: Four Israeli Army incursions into Bethlehem in 19 months have left shopkeepers like Mohammed Abu Kadesia broke.

"I may have to work five or six years in order to rebuild my shop," he says.

More than half of Bethlehem is without work. None, like this man, who showed me the hole in his house from a direct hit, have insurance. Down the street, the Palestinian Authority is back. There's a curious crowd outside the Church of the Nativity, and a sea of cars illegally parked in Manger Square. Palestinians around Bethlehem are picking up the pieces and hoping to get back to business.

Carol Lin, CNN, Bethlehem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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