Israel is getting ready to welcome 90,000 tourists this
Christmas. The nation is promoting access to holy sites and working to ensure
the safety of all visitors.
One third of the 2.4 million Christian tourists expected to
visit Israel by year’s end are pilgrims visiting holy sites in the West Bank
and Jerusalem. Nazareth, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Via Dolorosa and
the Mount of Olives are located in Israel. Bethlehem is in the West Bank.
Israeli security and civil administration leaders met with
the head of the Franciscan Monastery, the Ambassador to the Vatican, as well as
the Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Latin Patriarchs to facilitate freedom of
worship and movement during the holiday season.
What’s more, Israel is expediting transport and crossing
arrangements so that pilgrims and visitors can participate in traditional
Christmas ceremonies. For example, Major General Eitan Dangot, the Coordinator
of the Government Activities in the Territories, is working with the Israel
Police and the Israel Defense Forces to make sure the Bethlehem area crossings
would be constantly open for tourists to freely enter the city during the
holidays.
Christians constitute about 2 percent of Israel’s overall
population, but their number is steadily growing. By the end of 2009, 151,700
Christians lived in Israel, a 0.6 percent increase from the previous
year.
Have you been to
Israel during the Christmas season? I would love to hear about your experience.
