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Christmas returns to Holy Land cities as Bethlehem’s Christian population dwindles, Nazareth remains strong

close Video Holy Land Christmas returns as Cardinal Pizzaballa leads mass in Bethlehem Pilgrims return as the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, leads Mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. (Reuters) NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Christmas celebrations returned this year to both Bethlehem and Nazareth, but the season is unfolding very differently in the two cities that sit at the heart of Christianity — Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and Nazareth, where he lived.

Christmas returns to Holy Land cities as Bethlehem’s Christian population dwindles, Nazareth remains strong

Credit: Foxnews

Key Highlights

  • In Nazareth, festivities are broad and confident, rooted in a growing Christian presence in Israel.
  • In Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, celebrations took place again after more than two years of disruption, but against the backdrop of a long-term demographic decline and deep concern within the local Christian community. Elias Zarina, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy and a longtime Christian activist, said the long-term numbers underscore the concern.
  • Christians made up 86% of Bethlehem’s population in 1950, Zarina said.
  • By the last Palestinian census in 2017, they accounted for roughly 10%.
  • He added that since the Oct.
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Sources

  1. Christmas returns to Holy Land cities as Bethlehem’s Christian population dwindles, Nazareth remains strong

This quick summary is automatically generated using AI based on reports from multiple news sources. The content has not been reviewed or verified by humans. For complete details, accuracy, and context, please refer to the original published articles.

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