Bethlehem cancels Christmas

A deserted Church of the Nativity tells the story

Bethlehem, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, has cancelled its Christmas festivities this year because of continuing Israeli-Palestinian violence.

The city fathers have decided that festive street lights - still hanging from last year's celebrations - will not be switched on, and more than a dozen concerts which usually attract thousands to Manger Square have been abandoned.

It doesn't make sense that we celebrate... so many people have been killed

Bethlehem spokesman

Nor is it clear whether the famous giant Christmas tree in the square will be decorated or left bare.

Some are suggesting its branches should be adorned with pictures of the more than 200 Palestinians who have been killed in fighting which has raged daily since late September.

"In view of the very bad situation we are living in, it doesn't make sense that we celebrate," said Tony Marcos, a spokesman for the municipality. "So many people have been killed."

Since violence erupted two months ago, seven Palestinians from Bethlehem have been killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers.

Like many Palestinian areas, the town itself has been sealed off for security reasons, keeping tourists and other non-Palestinians out - with disastrous effects for the local economy.

Tours cancelled

"Manger Square by this time should have been filled with tourists, guides and visitors. Now it is empty," Mr Marcos said.

Heavily armed soldiers ring the town

Last year thousands thronged Bethlehem to mark the last Christmas before the year 2000.

Local merchants had anticipated record business for this Christmas, predicting that visitors would flock in huge numbers to celebrate Jesus's 2,000th birthday.

"People were preparing for Christmas from the beginning of this year. We thought we would see the most tourists ever," one trader said.

He added that it had been over a month and a half since a tourist had bought something from his shop.

The immediate future looks just as gloomy.

A spokeswoman for Bethlehem 2000, the body set up by the Palestinians as part of their millennium celebrations, said some travel operators had already cancelled tours as far ahead as Easter.