Scores of thousands of pilgrims and tourists celebrated Christmas in Israel and the occupied territories today without incident. Strict security measures by Israeli authorities apparently prevented Arab terrorist groups from carrying out their threats of violence and sabotage designed to frighten foreign visitors.
Security measures were especially evident in Bethlehem where Israeli soldiers stood guard and helicopters hovered overhead as some 3500 pilgrims celebrated Mass in the Church of the Nativity or watched the services on television screens in Manger Square. The pilgrims out of doors braved biting cold, as did the Israeli troops who patrolled the streets and rooftops with machine guns at the ready. If anything marred the religious devotions it was a group of hippies who set up their bongo drums around the basilica where Jesus reputedly was born and beat out an accompaniment to the choir inside.
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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.
