By Aysar Alais and Rania Abu Shamala
RAMALLAH, Palestine/ISTANBUL (AA) – The municipality of Bethlehem condemned a decision by Israel to prevent a French delegation from entering the West Bank, where it had been scheduled to visit several Palestinian cities.
In a statement Wednesday, it said the delegation included around 50 representatives from French local authorities participating in the Palestine Year 2025 initiative organized by United Cities of France in collaboration with the Decentralized Cooperation Network for Palestine.
It expressed its strong condemnation of the Israeli move, describing it as “a blatant violation of all red lines and an unacceptable interference in international and decentralized cooperation relations that connect the Palestinian and French peoples.”
It added that “these Israeli decisions are not only aimed at undermining civil initiatives, but also serve as punishment for actors committed to building a just and lasting peace, which remains a prerequisite for regional stability.”
The municipality also described the move as “part of a systematic policy to isolate the Palestinian people and obstruct any attempt at dialogue or mutual understanding through peaceful diplomatic means.”
Bethlehem is a historic city located in the southern occupied West Bank and holds significance as the site of the Church of the Nativity, believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ.