Holy land: A view of Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity as people gather for Christmas eve celebrations in the biblical West Bank city of Bethlehem, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ. — AFP
AS in years past, thousands of Christian pilgrims from all over the globe flocked to Bethlehem in the West Bank of occupied Palestine for Christmas celebrations.
But the troubles of the year – the 50-day war in Gaza between Hamas and Israeli forces which killed more than 2,000, the heightened tensions in the West Bank in the last few weeks, and the current Islamic State (IS) terror in the region – have dampened the traditional Yuletide festivities by reducing the number of pilgrims.
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