Premier Yitzhak Shamir attended a Christmas celebration in Bethlehem Wednesday night, hosted by Mayor Elias Freij. He was accompanied by Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. Aides to Shamir noted that he was the first Likud Prime Minister to lend his presence to such an occasion. They said his purpose was to stress the possibility of a dialogue with moderate pro-Jordanian Palestinians, such as Freij.
In brief remarks, Shamir called on “men and women of good will” to strive for “the highest goal, which is the quest for peace.” Freij, in response, spoke of Palestinian national rights.
The reception, at the Paradise Hotel, preceded Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity. The crowds in the church and outside in Manger Square were smaller than in previous years. Tourism circles in Bethlehem attributed the reduced turn-out to the recent violence in the West Bank.
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