The Christian Mayor of Bethlehem, Maher Nicola Canawati, has invited Irish pilgrims to return to the Holy Land in a message sent to The Irish Catholic. Mr Canawati met with Irish pilgrims during the first Christmas celebration in Bethlehem since the Gaza War outbreak on October 7, 2023.
“From the City of the Prince of Peace, we send a message of hope: your presence matters, your prayers matter, and together we keep the light of Christ alive. Bethlehem is safe and ready to receive you all. Come and make the bible alive,” Mr Canawati said.
Thomas Kilduff, a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem from Cavan, said he decided to visit the Holy Land as a “pilgrim tourist” so he could “express my solidarity with the ‘living stones’, contribute to the collapsed tourist economy and be a beacon of encouragement to demonstrate that it is now safe to return and travel freely as a pilgrim tourist.”
The Irish Catholic contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which classifies Palestine as a ‘High Level of Warning’ area. They strongly advised “against all travel to the Gaza Strip, and to all border areas between the Gaza Strip and Israel.” The Department also “advises a ‘Do Not Travel’ to Palestine and has no current plans to change this security rating.”
Trips to East Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ramallah are exceptions to the ‘Do Not Travel’ warning; however, the Department “advises against non-essential travel” to those places.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is not in a position to advise whether any travel is essential or non-essential. Citizens are responsible for making decisions about their own travel,” they said.
