Christian worshippers prepare for the Christmas holiday across the Middle East. From Gaza City to Be

(21 Dec 2014) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 2038572 The top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, Latin Patriarch, Fouad Twal, visited Gaza's small Christian community on Sunday ahead of Christmas. In the war-battered territory, Twal personally greeted local worshippers ahead of the mass. There are approximately 2,500 Christians among an overall Palestinian population of more than 1.7 million in Gaza. In Jerusalem, where the Christian population is a small minority, along the cobblestone streets of the Old City some shops displayed toy Santas and traditional Christmas decorations. In the West Bank town of Bethlehem, faithful gathered in the Nativity Church for a mass marking the beginning of the Christmas week. Bethlehem is one of the only cities in the West Bank and Gaza where Christmas is really felt. The town is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus and is of major importance to Christians. 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...