Mahmud, a taxi driver from Bethlehem who has been ferrying locals and tourists for the past nine years, said the barrier and roadblocks were crippling tourism.
"We have no hope for tomorrow," he said. "The economic situation is getting worse and the few tourists who come by bus don't stay here."
On Christmas Eve, however, he might just be a little bit busier this year, taking visitors to midnight mass.
This time there will be no empty chair in the front row. Arafat's successor Mahmud Abbas should be the first Palestinian Authority president to attend since 2000, the last time that Israel allowed Arafat, who died last year, to attend.
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