A heavy contingent of Israeli police and troops stood guard today in Bethlehem as Christians celebrated the birth of Christ in the Church of the Nativity. Some 1,100 pilgrims, Arab Christians and diplomats attended a midnight pontifical high mass led by the Catholic patriarch of Jerusalem. It was the third year of such Yule observances under Israeli control.
The Israeli guards were posted to Bethlehem because of Arab guerrilla threats that Bethlehem at Christmas time was not immune to attacks but no incidents were reported. A midday procession yesterday from Old Jerusalem to Bethlehem, led by the Papal representative, Msgr. Alberto Gori, ushered in the Yule Celebrations in the Catholic and Protestant communities in Israel and the occupied areas. Israeli police preceded the procession.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
