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Bethlehem Celebrates Christmas Against Backdrop of Violence
In other words, in Cheslow’s skewed coverage, when Palestinians attack Israelis, when Palestinians attack a prominent Arab Christian clergyman, or when Palestinian extremists threaten Christian celebrations in Bethlehem, the primary culprit is Israel. Israeli authorities said three Palestinian assailants were killed as they carried out or tried to carry out stabbing or car-ramming attacks against Israeli security personnel, and a fourth Palestinian was killed in clashes with Israeli troops, a Palestinian hospital official said. Hundreds of Palestinian policemen and security officers have been deployed in Bethlehem and its surroundings as part of an “unprecedented” security operation to maintain law and order during the celebrations. “But God willing, we’ll overcome it and celebrate”. “The situation between the Palestinians and Israel (is) bad”. The video purported to show a wedding attended by Jewish extremists last week, where revelers stabbed pictures of a Palestinian toddler killed in an arson attack earlier this year, danced with rifles belonging to the Israeli military and in one case, held a mock firebomb in the air.
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Twal is expected to lead Christmas morning mass at the town.
Christians from Gaza hope that their celebration of the feast will help them alleviate and forget their suffering in the wake of the eight-year-long Israeli blockade on the coastal enclave. “Every year, business it’s getting worse and worse and worse”.
Not everyone complied. Upscale shops and those around Ramallah’s old quarter, home to many Christians, decorated their shops with tinsel, green wreaths and plastic Santa Clauses, and played piped Arabic Christmas music.
Christmas Day in Bethlehem was marked by Palestinian rocks and iron bars hurled at the vehicle of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal as he drove out of Bethlehem after celebrating Christmas Mass. The prelate was not hurt, but the rear of his auto was smashed.
But the Bethlehem of today is anything but a quiet and peaceful little village.
He has also called for parishes to switch off Christmas tree lights for five minutes in solidarity with victims of violence and “terrorism”.
At his Christmas Eve mass, Pope Francis urged the faithful to reject the materialism that pervades the gift-giving season, and to embrace “simple, balanced” values, while violence subdued festivities in the Holy Land. He wished “all inhabitants of the Holy Land” a happy and healthy new year. The city for years saw prosperity as people came from all over the world to the place where Jesus was born to celebrate his birth.
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A week before Christmas, the mayor received notification from Israel that another 25 acres of Bethlehem land were being confiscated for security construction.