Christians to be without Bethlehem altar wine at Christmas due to 'security risk'

Another candidate for the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department. From the London Telegraph

The organic wine, made at the Cremisan winery in Beit Jala, a suburb of Bethlehem, by the Roman Catholic order the Salesians of Don Bosco, has been refused permission to pass the Hebron checkpoint into Israel, the UK importer said.

Della Shenton, of 5th Gospel Retreats, in Liskeard, Cornwall, said the move meant that the wine cannot reach the Israeli port of Haifa, from where it is shipped to Europe.

The wine is currently used by a number of Catholic and Anglican parishes as well as university chaplaincies and religious houses across the UK, according to Mrs Shenton.

These include Worth Abbey in West Sussex, where the BBC2 series The Monastery was filmed, Romsey Abbey in Hampshire, Ushaw College, Durham, Oscott College, Birmingham, and Thornleigh College, Bolton.

She said Sheffield University Chaplaincy and Wimbledon College, London are also affected alongside a number of parishes across the country.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/3542932/Altar-wine-a-security-risk-say-Israelis.html