BETHLEHEM — With Christmas eve approaching, Palestinians are praying that tourists and pilgrims will make their way in large numbers to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
In stark contrast to the years of the second Intifada (uprising), Bethlehem has seen a rise in the number of visitors. But the city has yet to fully reach its potential, given it houses important Christian landmarks such as the Church of Nativity, believed to have been built over the manger where Jesus Christ was born.