Readers blog: Bethlehem is a place of unholy violence

My recent trip to Bethlehem shattered my illusions. The most iconic place in all of Christendom is the most unholy and violent I have ever visited.

Wander a little beyond Manger Square, with its splendid Church of the Nativity, souvenir shops and cafes, and you enter an entirely different world.

A world enveloped by Israel’s 50ft-high wall, topped with barbed wire and interspersed with intimidating watchtowers. A world of gun-toting Israeli soldiers, military checkpoints, and random road closures.