Japanese Tourists Stumble into Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

It sounds like a spoof news story from The Onion, but this is legit: A pair of Japanese backpackers touring Bethlehem were so engrossed in their guidebooks they wandered right up to the Church of the Nativity, only to be shocked to learn it was the site of an ongoing seige between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen.

“Palestinian residents of Bethlehem looked on in disbelief as Yuji Makano and his girlfriend Mina Takahashi walked through the debris towards the church seemingly oblivious to the evidence of war,” the BBC reports. “They were rescued when journalists in flak jackets saw them and pointed out the bullet-holes across buildings, the Israeli tanks and rubble which littered the streets. It was then that the couple decided to call off their trip to one of Christianity’s holiest shrines.” Incredibly, they later told reporters: “We have been on the road for the last six months and we did not watch television or read the newspapers.” Wow. We’ve read some pretty good guidebooks, but none that was that engrossing.

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