Christians flock to Bethlehem for Christmas in spite of security concerns

Christians flock to Bethlehem for Christmas in spite of security concerns

Christian pilgrims and tourists estimated to be in the tens of thousands are flocking to Bethlehem, the town where Jesus Christ was born. Amid some security concerns, tourists in record numbers have visited this town this season to attend the yearly Christmas mass at the Church of the Nativity. Before the mass, locals, pilgrims and tourists will sing traditional Christmas carols at Manger Square, the focal point of all Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem. The tourism industry in Bethlehem has benefited from a recent absence of violence with many hotels fully booked and shops enjoying strong sales. There is ongoing construction of a few more hotels in anticipation of rising demand in the coming years. Storeowners said souvenirs such as nativity scenes made from olive wood are favorite items for purchase. "The Ministry of Tourism, the Civil Administration and the Palestinian Authority are trying to ensure that all visits are smooth and give visitors a religious, spiritual and historical experience that will make them want to return," said Stas Meseznikov, Israel's tourism minister, told reporters.

However, locals complain that the concrete wall separating Bethlehem and the West Bank from Israel prevents many more people from visiting the town. Bethlehem, considered by Christians, Jews and Muslims as revered ground, has not been immune from the violence between Israel and the large local Palestinian Muslim community. The Church of Nativity was the scene of a standoff in May 2002 between local Muslim militants and the Israel Defense Force. The small minority of Palestinian Christians expresses solidarity with their Palestinian countrymen in opposing the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. But the once predominantly Christian town has become mostly Muslim in recent times and Christians here have been targets of attacks in the past.

Posted by Sophia Andrews on Thursday December 23 2010, 9:08 PM EDT. Ref: ABC News. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Travel. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0