Pilgrims flock to most peaceful Bethlehem in years
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank  - Thousands of pilgrims gathered in Bethlehem on Monday for a Christmas mass promoted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Western powers as a chance to highlight the benefits of peacemaking.
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MUZDALIFA, Saudi Arabia  - Millions of Muslim pilgrims moved to Muzdalifa on Tuesday evening after spending the afternoon on the plain of Arafat east of Mecca at the peak of the annual haj pilgrimage.
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Israel allowed free travel into Bethlehem on Christmas Eve and handed out candy to Palestinians and foreign pilgrims at roadblocks, the latest sign that Israeli-Palestinian relations have warmed since the death of Yasser Arafat.
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&quot;Bethlehem should be a free city. It is a symbol of peace, a symbol for all the Christian world and all humanity.&quot;. Praying for peace ... Christian pilgrims visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. However
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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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Interim Palestinian leader and presidential candidate Mahmoud Abbas reads the order of service during the Christmas midnight mass at the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Saturday Dec. 25, 2004.
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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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Pope John Paul told the world in  his Christmas message on Saturday that people everywhere were  yearning for peace and expressed particular concern for Iraq,  the Middle East and Africa.
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Muslim prayers at Jerusalem's holiest site end peacefully as thousands of police are deployed.
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MECCA, Saudi Arabia  - Muslim pilgrims performed  final rites of the haj on Saturday, with many praising its  safety following fears of stampedes or al Qaeda strikes.
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Thousands of pilgrims and a new Palestinian leadership are celebrating Christmas in the town of Jesus&#39;s birth with prayers for peace after the death of Yasser Arafat.
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Israel is taking special steps to insure a merry Christmas in Bethlehem, an Israeli military official said Thursday, raising hopes for a gentler holiday in the traditional birthplace of Jesus after four years of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
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25 December 2004 -- Hundreds of millions of Christians are celebrating Christmas today. Many of those are turning their. thoughts to a small Palestinian West Bank town where many people believe Jesus Christ was born 2,004 years ago.
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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  - Pilgrims and a new  Palestinian leadership celebrated Christmas in the town of  Jesus's birth with prayers for peace on Saturday, lifted by  fresh hope following Yasser Arafat's death.
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Authorities estimated that more than 2.3 million worshippers had traveled by bus, car, bicycle to participate in the annual observance honoring the nation&#39;s patron saint.
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The international diplomatic enthusiasm for Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking that erupted after the death of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat has apparently not filtered down to the streets of Bethlehem.