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Giant Christmas tree lit at birthplace of Jesus

Dunya News

West Bank city of Bethlehem, believed to be birthplace of Jesus, lights up a giant Christmas tree.

A 15-metre (50 feet) high Christmas tree outside the church of Nativity in Bethlehems Manger Square was lit up on Thursday, in a ceremony which officially kicked off the Christmas celebrations in the town believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.Hundreds of Palestinians and pilgrims gathered for the annual ceremony during which the mayor of Bethlehem lights the Christmas tree.Well, lighting this tree is lighting their hearts, giving them hope, staying in their land, around the manger, giving them hope that one day we will have a free Palestinian state on our land Palestine. This is this Christmas, this is our message, message of hope, Victor Batarse, mayor of Bethlehem, told Reuters before the ceremony.The crowd applauded and cheered as the tree was illuminated with colourful lights, and a fireworks display began.Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who attended the ceremony, said he is thrilled to be in Bethlehem during the festive event.I feel very happy at this time of the year our nation and the whole world is celebrating Christmas, and specially when we are celebrating the lighting of the Christmas tree here in Bethlehem where Jesus was born, I am really very happy, Fayyad said.Relative calm has returned to Bethlehem after years of heavy fighting during the Palestinian uprising for independence which was launched in 2000. In the past three years there has been a steady increase in tourism at the West Bank town which has been described by some as a tourism boom.Israelis attribute some of that calm on the streets of nearby Jerusalem to the construction of hundreds of kilometres (miles) of walls and security fencing around the West Bank. Palestinians complain that the barrier which snakes into their land makes continuity and life difficult, and takes away their freedom of movement.
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