WEST BANK: RESIDENTS OF BETHLEHEM AWAKE ON CHRISTMAS DAY WITHOUT MUCH COURSE FOR CELEBRATIONS / ISRAEL PREVENTS YASSER ARAFAT FROM ATTENDING CHRISTMAS MASS IN BETHLEHEM FOR THIRD YEAR RUNNING

Record ID: 566275

  • Title: WEST BANK: RESIDENTS OF BETHLEHEM AWAKE ON CHRISTMAS DAY WITHOUT MUCH COURSE FOR CELEBRATIONS / ISRAEL PREVENTS YASSER ARAFAT FROM ATTENDING CHRISTMAS MASS IN BETHLEHEM FOR THIRD YEAR RUNNING
  • Date: 25th December 2003
  • Summary: (U3) BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (DECEMBER 25, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. CLOSE OF CANDLES AND AN IKON OF JESUS CHRIST IN NATIVITY CHURCH 0.10 2. CLOSE OF JESUS IKON 0.19 3. PRIESTS MARCHING, HOLDING CANDLES; LATIN PATRIARCH MICHELE SABBAH WALKING IN CHURCH 0.42 4. CLOSE OF SABBAH, SOUND OF SINGING 0.49 5. CU: CANDLES 1.01 6. WIDE OF SABBAH 1.10 7. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SINGING CAROLS IN CHURCH (3 SHOTS) 1.37 8. SCU: WOMAN LIGHTING CANDLES 1.44 9. CLOSE OF CANDLES 1.52 10. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LIGHTING CANDLES (2 SHOTS) 2.05 DAY SHOTS 11. VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR SHOTS OF NATIVITY CHURCH (2 SHOTS) 2.16 12. PEOPLE WALKING IN MANGER SQUARE 2.22 13. PEOPLE ENTERING NATIVITY CHURCH 2.25 14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRISTIAN ATTENDING PRAYERS AT NATIVITY CHURCH JANE CANDLE SAYING: "I can see people are very happy, to celebrate Christmas. But unfortunately the happiness will not be fulfilled unless we get our serious peace achievements in this country." 2.41 15. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CHRISTIAN ATTENDING PRAYERS GEORGE ISAZEEN SAYING: "We celebrate Christmas this year, Jesus birthday, and I hope that we will get our wishes, the Palestinian wishes of peace and justice." 2.56 16. VARIOUS OF CHILDREN IN MANGER SQUARE (3 SHOTS) 3.14 (U3) QALANDIA CHECKPOINT, RAMALLAH , WEST BANK (DECEMBER 25, 2003) (REUTERS) 17. MV: SOLDIERS CHECKING PALESTINIAN CARS AT CHECKPOINT 3.23 18. SOLDIERS AT CHECKPOINT 3.29 19. SLV: PEOPLE CROSSING CHECKPOINT 3.34 (U3) RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (DECEMBER 25, 2003) (REUTERS) 20. PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT STEPPING OUT FROM HIS COMPOUND ACCOMPANIED AFTER MEETING FOREIGN PEACE ACTIVISTS 3.41 21. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT SAYING: (ASKED IF HE WAS SAD BY BEING PREVENTED BY ISRAEL TO ATTEND CHRISTMAS MASS IN BETHLEHEM) "No doubt, no doubt. And don't you forget this is the third year they (Israelis) are preventing me (from celebrating Christmas in Bethlehem), and you have to remember during the 2000 years of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem we made the historical meeting for all the 13 churches together for the first time in the history. And we are proud of it". / PULL OUT TO WIDE OF ARAFAT OUTSIDE COMPOUND 4.17 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th January 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BETHLEHEM, QALANDIA CHECKPOINT, RAMALLAH , WEST BANK
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Reuters ID: LVA8OOBC37W1N12G4634A7ZVPGQ1
  • Story Text: Residents of Bethlehem awake on Christmas Day
    without much couse for celebraitions.


    The West Bank city of Bethlehem, the birthplace of
    Jesus, woke up to a sunny Christmas day, but except for the
    weather there was little cause for celebration.

    Christian residents of the town held prayers in the
    church of the nativity, while Manger square remained quite.

    The holiday was bleak again in Bethlehem, the town now
    encircled by the Israeli army troops.

    Residents of town said that they wished that the
    holiday season could be celebrated with more cheer.

    "We celebrate Christmas this year, Jesus birthday, and
    I hope that we will get our wishes, the Palestinian wishes
    of peace and justice" said Bethlehem resident George
    Isazeen, who attended Christmas prayers in the Nativity
    Church.

    Pilgrims and tourist have stayed away this year, three
    years of violence in the region taking a there toll.

    Israel said it had relaxed military blockades imposed
    in the West Bank against a three-year-old Palestinian
    revolt to help Christian Palestinians and foreigners reach
    Bethlehem and its ancient Church of the Nativity for
    Christmas celebrations, but there was little visible sign
    of this at the checkpoint.

    Christian Palestinians and foreign pilgrims made their
    way through Israeli army roadblocks to pack the ancient
    Church of the Nativity for Christmas midnight mass.

    Palestinian Christians number around 50,000 out of the
    3.6 million people in the West Bank and Gaza. In Bethlehem
    they make up almost half the population but their numbers
    are dwindling because of emigration due to the economic
    meltdown.

    For a third year in a row Israel banned Arafat from
    going to the Christmas Eve Mass in the Byzantine-era
    Nativity church.

    "And don't you forget this is the third year they
    (Israelis) are preventing me (from celebrating Christmas in
    Bethlehem), and you have to remember during the 2000 years
    of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem we made the historical meeting
    for all the 13 churches together for the first time in the
    history. And we are proud of it" said Arafat after he was
    asked whether he was sad for not being able to leave to
    Bethlehem.

    Arafat, a Muslim married to a Christian, settled for
    lighting a Christmas tree in his half-demolished West Bank
    compound in Ramallah where he has been largely confined
    since 2001.


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