Bethlehem ceremony urges Middle East peace
Christmas service calls for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Published On 25 Dec 2011
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.