Holy Land's Last Christian TV Station Closes 
Debts, Threats and Woes with Palestinian Officials cited

Bethlehem's only Christian television station, The Nativity, has closed.  It was the last Christian TV station in the Holy Land.

The station was founded in 1996 by Samir Qumsieh, and served as a meeting place for Christians, Jews and Muslims as well as to broadcast Christian programming.  In addition to airing  Masses and other Christian services, and Christian news and entertainment programming, it also broadcast Muslim prayers on Fridays.

According to AsiaNews, Qumsieh was the subject of frequent death threats for more than a year and the station has had to endure trouble from Palestinian authorities. Vatican Radio the closure of the station, noting that it was the only Christian station in the Holy Land, and that its broadcasts reached the West Bank, Jordan and Israel.

The Italian daily Il Foglio, reported that the station had an annual debt of $63,000 in each of the last three years.  The losses were being made up by Qumsieh and his family and served as another reason for closing the station.

Qumsieh expressed his fear that the closing of the station could foretell a definitive Christian exodus from the Holy Land and noted that he anticipates leaving as well.