Printer friendly Fadia Salem decorates a Christmas tree at the Peace Center in Bethlehem's Manger Square. Just days before Christmas, the city of Bethlehem is shrouded in gloom. The streets are empty, bare of any sign of the approaching holiday. No colored lights or decorations adorn the roads or shop windows. The stage erected in Manger Square for last year's millennium celebrations is, perhaps, the only reminder of what could have been.
Locals declare that it is a time for mourning the dead killed in clashes with the Israeli army.
No one feels like celebrating, they say. Occupancy in the 21 hotels in the area is down to almost zero. The city itself has a population of 53,000 of whom between 40 and 50 percent are Christians. Head of the Israeli District Liaison Office Lt.-Col. Moshe Madar is not surprised by the accusations.