WEST BANK/JERUSALEM: CONFINED ARAFAT SENDS CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TO PALESTINIANS/ JERUSALEM CAROL CONCERT.
Record ID:
566238
WEST BANK/JERUSALEM: CONFINED ARAFAT SENDS CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TO PALESTINIANS/ JERUSALEM CAROL CONCERT.
- Title: WEST BANK/JERUSALEM: CONFINED ARAFAT SENDS CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TO PALESTINIANS/ JERUSALEM CAROL CONCERT.
- Date: 25th December 2002
- Summary: (W6) RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (DECEMBER 24, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. MV: PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT OUTSIDE HIS RAMALLAH HEADQUARTERS 0.05 2. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT SENDING CHRISTMAS WISHES TO CHRISTIANS IN WEST BANK AND GAZA STRIP AND COMMENTING ON CONTINUATION OF ISRAELI OCCUPATION, SAYING: "And now they have prevented me for the second time to go to participate with my brother (indistinct) the Christians in the Nativity Church, which is a holy place for the Muslims and for the Christians and in spite of that I am sending from my heart my greetings - Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas and we hope we will meet together in Jerusalem." 0.53 3. MV: ARAFAT HOLDING UP PICTURE OF THE VIRGIN MARY OUTSIDE THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY 1.01 4. AS ABOVE: SOUNDBITE (English) ARAFAT SAYING: "That is our statue of Maria. Can this be accepted internationally?" 1.01 5. MCU: SOUNDBITE (English) ARAFAT SAYING: "They are speaking about it and we hope that they will follow up what has been agreed upon in the Security Council and to arrive to a peaceful solution because what will happen will not touch only Iraq, it will reflect in the whole area." 1.32 6. MV/GV: OFFICIALS SEATED, ARAFAT LEAVES (2 SHOTS) 1.49 (W6) JERUSALEM (DECEMBER 24, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 7. VARIOUS: VARIOUS OF CAROL SINGING CONCERT, CONDUCTOR, SINGERS 2.55 8. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICHAEL EDERBACK INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE CHRISTIAN EMBASSY IN JERUSALEM SAYING: "Because of the problems that are in Bethlehem, we can't be there, and honestly be very safe. And so, we were invited to come here to celebrate to enjoy one another's presence, the fellowship and to enjoy enjoy the fact that Jesus was born. And also to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, that is paramount in our hearts as Christians, we love this nation, we love the Jewish people. And we are very appreciative of the fact that they would allow us even to be here to celebrate at a time like this." 3.26 9. GV: PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE MUNICIPALITY AT JERUSALEM'S JAFFA GATE IN SAFRA SQUARE 3.29 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th January 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK/ JERUSALEM
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Reuters ID: LVA4YHC11G4WLNA06G59AMFMNDAP
- Story Text: Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, confined to his
battered West Bank headquarters, has sent a holiday message to
Palestinians celebrating without him in Bethlehem and in
Jerusalem, Christmas carol singers gathered to sing at the
gates of the ancient walled city.
The Israeli army pulled back to the outskirts of
Bethlehem on Tuesday (December 24) but Palestinian Christians
found little to celebrate as the town of Jesus's birth ushered
in a joyless Christmas.
There were no traditional festive lights in Manger Square,
where Israeli troops had patrolled and imposed curfews for the
past month after reoccupying the town following a Palestinian
suicide bombing that killed 11 Israelis on a Jerusalem bus.
Adding to the sombre mood was Israel's decision to bar
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat from making his annual
Christmas visit to Bethlehem for the second year running. It
has accused him of fomenting violence, an allegation he
denies.
"Now they have prevented me for the second time to
participate with my brothers in the Nativity Church," Arafat,
a Muslim, told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
"In spite of that, I am sending from my heart my
greetings, 'Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas', and we hope
that we will meet together in Jerusalem and also in
Bethlehem."
Several hundred people, some ringing bells and others
holding Palestinian flags, turned out to greet the arrival of
Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah, head of the Roman Catholic
church in the Holy Land, outside the famed Church of the
Nativity.
But it was a far cry from the huge crowds that used to
pack the West Bank town for Christmas Eve celebrations before
the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian violence in September
2000.
In an apparent goodwill gesture following appeals from
Pope John Paul, the Israeli army said it had withdrawn to the
edges of Bethlehem. But it said it would "continue to operate
according to the security situation and existing terror
threats".
No soldiers were spotted near the Church of the Nativity
in the centre of Palestinian-ruled Bethlehem, where local
Christian dignitaries were due to attend Christmas Eve
midnight mass on Tuesday, or in any of the surrounding
neighbourhoods.
But troops and armour continued to surround Bethlehem as
they have done during much of the Palestinian uprising for
independence which began more than two years ago. The city
came under Palestinian control in 1995.
The army said Palestinian Christians with security
permits, foreign tourists and pilgrims would be allowed into
Bethlehem for Christmas events.
But attendance was expected to be low and the festivities
subdued. Since the start of the uprising, souvenir shops have
gone out of business, hotels have closed for lack of guests
and the tour buses that once plied the streets have vanished.
In Jerusalem carol singers sang at the gates to the old
city in the spirit of the Christian festival.
Israel reoccupied every major Palestinian city and town in
the West Bank, except for Jericho, in June following a wave of
Palestinian suicide bombings which killed scores of Israelis.
At least 1,736 Palestinians and 671 Israelis have been
killed since the uprising began after peace talks broke down.
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