CHURCH OF NATIVITY BETHLEHEM; MANGER SQUARE; MAN FIXING LIGHTS AND SPEAKERS; ARMENIAN CLERGYMEN PREPARING ALTAR; PICTURE OF MARY; CLERGY ENTER FRANCISCAN SERVICE IN STABLES; SERVICE; JERUSALEM; PEOPLE COLLECTING CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS; NEW AND WOMEN DECORATING TREE.




Initials JB/VS/AW/SGM



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Background: JERUSALEM AND BETHLEHEM ARE PREPARING FOR THE TRADITIONAL FLOOD OF PILGRIMS TO THESE HOLY PLACES FOR CHRISTMAS. THIS YEAR THERE WILL BE A WARLIKE NOTE IN THE CEREMONIES MARKING THE BIRTH OF CHRIST NEARLY TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO.

SOME 20,000 PILGRIMS ARE EXPECTED TO THRONG BETHLEHEM, INCLUDING SOME EIGHT-THOUSAND FROM ABROAD. ISRAELI SOLDIERS WILL BE ON ROOFTOPS OVERLOOKING THE CROWDS IN MANGER SQUARE AND THEY WILL BE PATROLLING THE PATHS THAT THE THREE KINGS FOLLOWED INTO THE SMALL TOWN SO MANY CENTURIES AGO, IN CASE ARAB COMMANDOS TRY TO DESTROY THE CEREMONIES.

PILGRIMS WILL BE ABLE TO ENTER BETHLEHEM ONLY BY PERMIT AND MANY OF THE THOUSANDS EXPECTED WILL BE REQUIRED TO USE SPECIAL TRANSPORT FROM NEARBY JERUSALEM.

BETHLEHEM ITSELF IS IN FESTIVE DRESS FOR THE OCCASION AND A HUGE TELEVISION SCREEN HAS BEEN SET UP IN MANGER SQUARE TO CARRY THE SERVICE TO THE THOUSANDS WHO WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE INTO THE CHURCH.

IN JERUSALEM THE MUNICIPALITY HAS AGAIN BEEN DISTRIBUTING CHRISTMAS TREES, FREE OF CHARGE, TO CHURCHES AND INSTITUTIONS, AND TO EVERY CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD WHICH APPLIES FOR ONE.

TREES DONATED BY THE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND HAVE ALREADY BEEN HANDED OUT TO MORE THAN TWO-THOUSAND CHURCHES AND CHRISTIAN INSTITUTIONS.

THE SHOPS HAVE BEEN PUTTING ON THEIR FESTIVE DRESS AS PARENTS AND CHILDREN MAKE THEIR SHOPPING ROUNDS FOR CHRISTMAS. AND IN THE HOMES PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DECORATING THEIR TRADITIONAL TREES -- WITH COTTON WOOL TO SIMULATE SNOW.