Bethlehem profits from peaceful Christmas
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank  - Bethlehem souvenir store owner Mike Canawati is gearing up for his merriest Christmas in years.
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Four years of violence, an economic free fall and the rapidly rising Israeli separation barrier have all contributed to the hardships facing Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem, one of the largest concentrations of Christians in the region.
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Christians around the world celebrated Christmas Saturday with Pope John Paul II leading prayers for peace and a more tranquil future, as pilgrims flocked to Bethlehem, and Iraqis stayed away from church amid fears of bomb attacks.
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Business & money: Market continued to slow in December with prices lower than in the summer months
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With the lighting of a candle for peace in his window, Pope John Paul began Christmas holiday celebrations that posed a new test for his frail health not long after visitors celebrated in Bethlehem.
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The holiday season keeps the Hansen family busy harvesting, shipping and selling thousands of Christmas trees. However, this year the Hansens, along with 12
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In the new optimism of the Mideast, Bethlehem finds itself blessed with more visitors this year than at any time since the Palestinian offensive began in 2000 â-n fact, twice as many in 2004 than in 2003.
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank Israel is passing out candy as it allows people to freely travel into Bethlehem this Christmas Eve. Officials say they expect some five thousand people today and tomorrow to visit the town where Jesus was born.
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Hundreds of pilgrims and a new Palestinian leadership came to Bethlehem for Christmas as the town of Jesus&#39;s birth celebrated the festival with new hopes for peace following Yasser Arafat&#39;s death.
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank -- The floors are polished, a Christmas tree glitters near the bar, and the dining room is ready for hundreds of guests: The luxury Paradise Hotel is open for business for the first time since the latest Palestinian uprising erupted in 2000.
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank, DEC. 22, 2004 .- The Israeli government announced that it would not prevent Israeli Christians from visiting Bethlehem for Christmas celebrations.
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Hundreds of pilgrims and a new Palestinian leadership came to Bethlehem for Christmas as the town of Jesus's birth celebrated the festival with new hopes for peace following Yasser Arafat's death.
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Christians around the world celebrated Christmas Saturday with Pope John Paul II leading prayers for peace and a more tranquil future, as pilgrims flocked to Bethlehem, and Iraqis
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank  - Hundreds of millions around the world prepared Friday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, a Christmas festival of religious joy for many and commercial excess for others, against a backdrop of continuing global security
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank  - Muslims and Christians united in the hope that the festive season will herald a new dawn after four years of violence, attending midnight mass in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
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For the past four years, Middle East peace could safely be filed under the same heading as Santa Claus: nice fantasy. But this Christmas, glimmers of hope have materialized in the Holy Land.
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The holidays may be over, but the shopping hasn't stopped.