Palestinian troops to be deployed to Bethlehem

Ramallah: About 900 Palestinian troops will be sent to Bethlehem to maintain order during Christmas celebrations, and the Palestinians are asking Israel to let the reinforcements stay on after the holiday, officials said Monday.

In recent months, Palestinian security forces have deployed in the West Bank cities of Nablus, Jenin and Hebron, as part of a law-and-order campaign by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Bethlehem would become the next city on the list if the extra forces are allowed to remain. Diab Al Ali, a senior Palestinian security commander, said negotiations with Israel are continuing and that a decision is expected by the end of the week.

Abbas is trying to strengthen his grip on the West Bank and to reassure Israel and the international community that his forces can impose order and rein in militants. However,
Israel retains overall security control, and Israeli troops often carry out arrest raids despite the presence of Palestinian security forces.

Israeli officials confirmed the Christmas deployment. The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the request to allow the Palestinian troops to extend their presence.

Bethlehem, meanwhile, is expecting a good Christmas season, said Mayor Victor Batarseh. Information Minister Riad Malki said the number of tourists to the Palestinian areas has grown steadily since 2006, following a sharp decline in Israeli-Palestinian fighting.

Malki said almost 1.2 million tourists have visited the West Bank this year, compared to 700,000 in all of 2007, and 400,000 in 2006. Hotel occupancy was 70 per cent in 2008, he added.