Deputy Consul General visits Bethlehem
Deputy Consul General, Benjamin Saoul, and a team from the British Consulate General in Jerusalem visited Bethlehem today.
Deputy Consul General Benjamin Saoul and Head of DFID Jonathan Hargreaves visited the city of Bethlehem today accompanied by a team from the British Consulate General in Jerusalem.
They first met the Mayor of Bethlehem Ms. Vera Baboun. They discussed the current political, economic and social developments in the city and explored future opportunities to further strengthen the strategic ties between the UK and Bethlehem.
Afterwards, the Consulate team visited the Oasis Workshop for People with Special Needs. They toured the centre and talked to some of the workers with special needs to find out more about the centre’s work. The centre provides adults with special needs job opportunities in recycled paper production and craft making. The Consulate provided the workshop this year with a label printer which the centre now uses to label their products.
At the end of the visit, the Deputy Consul General said:
I was delighted to meet the Mayor of Bethlehem this morning. Support for the Bethlehem municipality is also support for democracy, for women leaders in Palestine, and for a beautiful and important city. Following Prime Minister David Cameron’s historic visit to Bethlehem last month, I look forward to Britain strengthening its links with the city in the coming months.
I was also pleased to visit the Oasis centre for disabled people. I am proud that Britain is supporting the centre, which creates opportunities for disabled people in the Bethlehem area. It is vital that disabled people across Palestine be given the chance to fulfil their potential. The Palestinian Authority must play a full part in supporting them, living up to international standards and ensuring that their rights are respected in full.