Christmas in Bethlehem: Gilded treasures, but few tourists

By ILAN BEN ZION
Associated Press

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — A towering wooden screen once blackened with soot from worshippers’ candles is being restored to its gilded glory in the Church of the Nativity, built at the site where many believe Jesus was born. But few visitors are expected to see the work during the upcoming Christmas holiday season in biblical Bethlehem. The town in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has struggled for nearly two years since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This Christmas season is expected to be a bust for the second year in a row. Israel reopened its borders to vaccinated tourists earlier this month, but relatively few are expected to travel to Bethlehem.