Being the birthplace of the lord and savior of the world’s most popular religion sort of gives you all-time bragging rights. If nothing else, it at least allows the vendors to utter a fervent and honest, “Thank you, Jesus,” as they eye the wallets of the faithful. Bethlehem’s bragging rights and its proximity to Jerusalem make it the major tourist destination in the West Bank. As such, it’s also a good way to get a taste of the West Bank for those not ready for heavy hitters like Hebron; for many pilgrims in Bethlehem, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict only slightly seeps through the cracks. Tour buses avoid the contentious wall, and itineraries keep them close to Manger Sq., home to the Basilica of the Nativity (birthplace of Christ), the usual icon-hawking street vendors, and Afteem, one of the great falafel restaurants of the West Bank. Taxi drivers beg to take you on tours of major sights, cheap food is good and abundant, and services are centralized.

Away from all this, of course, there is a different story: anger directed toward the giant concrete slab that is the wall and poverty in refugee camps like Dheisheh. In the outskirts of the city, a large community of student volunteers affiliated with Phoenix Association and Ibdaa Cultural Center seek to better the lives of residents. Still, Bethlehem is a town that represents much of the best that the West Bank has to offer.