[QODLink]
Middle East
Bethlehem ceremony urges Middle East peace
Christmas service calls for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Last Modified: 25 Dec 2011 07:05

Thousands of Christian Palestinians and tourists have celebrated Christmas mass in Bethlehem, the town that is considered the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

The ceremony, held in the 1,500-year-old Church of the Nativity, was attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, used the traditional Midnight Mass to welcome in Christmas and urge peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Al Jazeera's Rory Challands reports from Bethlehem.
Source:
Al Jazeera
Topics in this article
People
Country
City
Organisation
Featured on Al Jazeera
Murder of Somali draws ire of foreign African nationals over rising xenophobic violence.
We look at the impact of increased sanctions against the Islamic Republic and ask who it really affects.
Tupamaros enforce rough justice in Venezuela's slums to support socialism, but critics say the group are violent thugs.
More than a decade ago the US launched a war against Afghanistan, but was it a justified battle?
Featured
Syria's War
Two years since the start of the uprising, rebels and Assad's forces remain locked in conflict.
Turkey Protests
Extensive coverage of political unrest that spread from Istanbul to other areas.
Obama's scandal
Revelations over NSA spying are threatening president's European trip.
Farming in Greece
Some urbanites are returning to their rural roots to farm the land.
People 'without'
Kuwait's 'Bidoon' have been stripped of rights and treated as second-class citizens.
join our mailing list