Thousands of Christian pilgrims have celebrated Christmas Eve at the traditional birthplace of Jesus in the West Bank town of Bethlehem
Thousands of Christian pilgrims have flocked to the West Bank town of Bethlehem, celebrating Christmas Eve in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
"We love this opportunity," he said."We have 40 people and many of them are from the US and other countries. They come to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ."While Bethlehem is in the Palestinian-administered area of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Israel's imposing separation barrier encloses parts of the city and is a constant reminder of the complex political reality.
Bethlehem - located just outside of Jerusalem - has invested heavily in tourism. It's built new hotels and tried to diversify itself by offering culinary and cultural destinations in addition to its traditional holy sites. The Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born, was set to host Palestinian dignitaries and pilgrims from around the world for a midnight Mass.
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