Throughout the history of the Bethlehem area, its people, spread through seven historic neighborhoods and several outlying villages, have been closely identified through their communities, extended families, and religious denominations. Many foreign visitors are surprised to discover that local residents often consider themselves to be culturally different from not only Palestinians in the north or within Israel, but also the surrounding cities and villages that have since merged with its geographic borders!

Today, the city of Bethlehem and its satellite villages are once again undergoing a period of transformation. It’s geographic proximity to the disputed capital of Jerusalem, both Intifadas, the Separation Wall and the continued Israeli occupation have all dramatically changed the character for what was once a sleepy outpost of the Ottoman Empire. A sense of frustration and helplessness of the local population has led to the popular belief that Bethlehem is now caught in an endless cycle of occupation to foreign powers and dependency to foreign donors, unable to move ahead or return back to simpler times.

However, through the enduring spirit of the people from Bethlehem, new ways in which to fight these long odds are coming forth. Out of this spirit has come Alkul TV, a community-focused television station. 
 
Alkul TV was founded in 2007 as a means to bring a new medium to the people of Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour and the surrounding villages. It has formed a partnership with Holy Land Trust during this early stage of its existence as it prepares to become a fully independent, self-sufficient media entity. Unlike Palestine News Network, which seeks to serve as an international media for Palestine news, Alkul is a local television station by and for the people of the Bethlehem area. Alkul, which means “for all” in Arabic, is a term used to describe a sense of a group of individuals coming together.

More than just a television station, Alkul hopes to restore a sense of community, self-dependence and regional pride as part of a greater vision for Palestine. For a town so often described as a city, struggling to find hope, Bethlehem needs a medium that will truly speak for the people. We believe that Alkul TV can be that voice.

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