Israelis Hoping for Gentler Christmas
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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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MIDEAST:Residents hope lessening Israeli-Palestinian violence can help the town regain its tourist industry. BY LAURA KING. BETHLEHEM, West Bank - In this Christmas season of hopes and fears, the little town
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The Israeli public wants a tough response, and some fear another episode of brinksmanship is at hand
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Madonna, a student of Jewish mysticism, was arriving in Israel for the Jewish New Year, which begins at sundown on Wednesday. The five-day visit, which includes trips to graves of rabbinical sages, brought
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Worshippers brought hopes for greater peace in the coming year as they flocked to Manger Square in Bethlehem and to St. Peter's in the Vatican to hear Christmas messages urging an end to violence, particularly in the Middle East. But from Indonesia to Iraq, fear overshadowed the festivities.
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank  - Thousands of pilgrims and  a new Palestinian leadership celebrated Christmas in the town  of Jesus's birth Saturday with prayers for peace after the  death of Yasser Arafat.
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Prime Minister Ariel Sharon predicts 2005 will be the year of peace. Meanwhile, Israelis, Palestinians and key members of the international community are taking steps to make it happen.
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There were mixed feelings in Israel yesterday as the Holy Land awaited the arrival of the world&#39;s most celebrated kabbalist to share Jewish New Year.
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank, Dec. 24 -- Encouraged by renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, Christian pilgrims from around the world converged on Jesus's traditional birthplace Monday to celebrate Christmas -- a palpable contrast to the sparse crowds of recent years.
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NEW YORK The holiday season is an especially busy time for global travelers intent on delivering gifts to friends and relatives from faraway places.
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As Christmas approaches, Christians around the world turn to thoughts of the Holy Land and the great figures in the Bible.
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JERUSALEM - Egypt&#39;s Sinai Peninsula, where at least 19 people were killed in three explosions late Thursday, is a popular holiday destination for Israelis despite the government warning last month of possible terrorist attacks there.
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Middle East peace could make Israeli stocks more appealing.
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Israeli diplomats fed up with a protocol requiring they entertain guests at less-than-fancy kosher eateries abroad have asked for the rules to be relaxed, only to be overruled by a religious Jewish cabinet minister.
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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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SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt  - Members of the Quartet  of Middle East peace mediators urged Israel Tuesday to ease  restrictions on Palestinians before January elections to choose  a successor to late President Yasser Arafat.
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Two astronauts face a not-so-merry Christmas after being told to ration their food and hope a cargo ship with extra supplies docks on Dec. 26.