Bethlehem festivities and Christians at Gaza mass

(24 Dec 2008) SHOTLIST Bethlehem, West Bank 1. Manger square in front of Church of the Nativity, decorated with Christmas lights 2. Main Christmas tree decorated with lights 3. Decoration on wall to more decorations next to Palestinian flag 4. Various of youth band performing 5. Orchestra on stage 6. Violinists wearing Christmas hats 7. Cellists wearing Christmas hats 8. Orchestra playing 9. Zoom out from decoration to square Gaza City, Gaza Strip 10. Entrance to church 11. Christian residents of Gaza entering church 12. Service 13. Priest addressing crowd 14. Congregation 15. Altar girls 16. Family with baby 17. Baby wearing Christmas hat 18. Nun 19. Wall painting depicting Jesus 20. Altar girl 21. Pan from Christmas tree to congregation 22. Service STORYLINE Thousands of tourists and Palestinians celebrated Christmas Eve on Wednesday in Jesus' traditional birthplace of Bethlehem. The celebrations at Manger Square were expected to last all night long. The highlight was to be Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity, on the site where Jesus is believed to have been born. After eight bleak years, the West Bank town finally has a Christmas season to cheer about. Hotels are booked solidly through January, the central Manger Square is bustling with tourists and Israeli and Palestinian forces are working to make things go smoothly. Bethlehem is being turned into a showcase for Palestinian security forces, who have been gradually expanding areas under their control in the once unruly West Bank. The town's economic fortunes are closely tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Tourism blossomed in the 1990s when hopes peace were alive, but were crushed by fighting in 2000. Christmas after Christmas, tourists have been scared off by violence and travel restrictions. Bethlehem is a typical West Bank town, with congested streets and noisy markets, very different from the biblical idyll visitors might imagine. The city is surrounded on three sides by a barrier which Israel says is meant to keep out Palestinian militants. A large grey wall separates the city from nearby Jerusalem and tourists entering Bethlehem must pass through a military checkpoint with barbed wire and watchtowers. Meanwhile, in Gaza City on Wednesday, the tiny Roman Catholic community held an evening mass for Christmas. The community decided to cancel the midnight mass and hold an evening one instead to protest the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. About four thousand Christians, including about 300 Roman Catholics, live in Gaza. Most of the remaining Christians are Greek Orthodox. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...