Post by Salem6 on Dec 25, 2003 9:56:39 GMT
Worshippers in Bethlehem have celebrated Christmas with carols and masses in the town's Manger Square.
Thousands gathered outside the Church of the Nativity - the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
Palestinian girl scouts sang carols under the watchful eye of policemen
Israeli authorities eased travel restrictions in the area to allow Palestinian Christians to celebrate Christmas in the town.
But the conflict has affected tourist numbers, with fewer visitors coming to Bethlehem this year than last.
'Basic evil'
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, told some 3,000 worshippers in the Saint Catherine Basilica off Manger Square that political leaders in the region must show greater courage "to undertake the difficult decisions for the sake of peace".
"For three years we have been living in a war," Michel Sabbah, the highest-ranking Catholic official in the Holy Land, said.
"Hundreds of Israelis have been among the victims and there have been thousands of Palestinian victims."
He also said that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza was the "basic evil" in the continuing conflict.
Earlier, priests and altar boys lined the streets, wafting incense as religious leaders paraded to the Church of the Nativity.
Palestinian girls from local scout troops sang Christmas carols under the watchful eye of policemen, who patrolled the square.
Carols in Arabic were also played through loudspeakers to the Christian and Muslim crowd.
However, many of the decorations which used to adorn the streets of Bethlehem were notably absent, as were the throngs of foreign tourists who used to flock to the town.
Many of the red, green and blue lights strung over the streets around Manger Square have burned out, the Associated Press news agency reported.
The Palestinian Authority said it lacked money and refused the town its usual decoration budget this year.
Taking comfort
One young Palestinian mother said the town's economic situation had steadily worsened in the three years since the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, began.
"There's no money to buy gifts, all we can afford is balloons," she told French news agency AFP.
However, she added, residents took comfort from the absence of the Israeli military, which handed over security control to Palestinian authorities in July.
"At least there is no army this year," she said.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was absent from Midnight Mass for the third consecutive year, still confined to his Ramallah compound by Israeli troops.
Video:-
The BBC's Christen Thomson
"This has been a subdued Christmas in Bethlehem"
news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/39674000/rm/_39674221_bethlehem06_thomson_vi.ram
Thousands gathered outside the Church of the Nativity - the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
Palestinian girl scouts sang carols under the watchful eye of policemen
Israeli authorities eased travel restrictions in the area to allow Palestinian Christians to celebrate Christmas in the town.
But the conflict has affected tourist numbers, with fewer visitors coming to Bethlehem this year than last.
'Basic evil'
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, told some 3,000 worshippers in the Saint Catherine Basilica off Manger Square that political leaders in the region must show greater courage "to undertake the difficult decisions for the sake of peace".
"For three years we have been living in a war," Michel Sabbah, the highest-ranking Catholic official in the Holy Land, said.
"Hundreds of Israelis have been among the victims and there have been thousands of Palestinian victims."
He also said that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza was the "basic evil" in the continuing conflict.
Earlier, priests and altar boys lined the streets, wafting incense as religious leaders paraded to the Church of the Nativity.
Palestinian girls from local scout troops sang Christmas carols under the watchful eye of policemen, who patrolled the square.
Carols in Arabic were also played through loudspeakers to the Christian and Muslim crowd.
However, many of the decorations which used to adorn the streets of Bethlehem were notably absent, as were the throngs of foreign tourists who used to flock to the town.
Many of the red, green and blue lights strung over the streets around Manger Square have burned out, the Associated Press news agency reported.
The Palestinian Authority said it lacked money and refused the town its usual decoration budget this year.
Taking comfort
One young Palestinian mother said the town's economic situation had steadily worsened in the three years since the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, began.
"There's no money to buy gifts, all we can afford is balloons," she told French news agency AFP.
However, she added, residents took comfort from the absence of the Israeli military, which handed over security control to Palestinian authorities in July.
"At least there is no army this year," she said.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was absent from Midnight Mass for the third consecutive year, still confined to his Ramallah compound by Israeli troops.
Video:-
The BBC's Christen Thomson
"This has been a subdued Christmas in Bethlehem"
news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/39674000/rm/_39674221_bethlehem06_thomson_vi.ram