Holiday cheer was but a ghost of Christmas past in Bethlehem, where only a handful of pilgrims braved weeks of warfare in the Holy Land to visit the biblical birthplace of Jesus yesterday.
"There is no singing, no Christmas lights, no Christmas decorations," lamented Theresa Dalmau, 46, of Puerto Rico. "It's Christmas because we know it's Christmas, not because you can feel it. They are mourning their dead and wounded."
Only about 200 people were on hand in a windswept and rainy Manger Square for the arrival from Jerusalem of an annual procession headed by Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of the Holy Land, who will celebrate Midnight Mass.
A rainbow formed an arch above the square, adding a splash of color to the gloomy atmosphere pervading the West Bank town.
At least 343 people, all Palestinians except for 13 Israeli Arabs and 39 other Israelis, have been killed in almost three months of violence that have also claimed Christmas spirit as a casualty.
The Christmas lights of Bethlehem once shone like a bright star, guiding the way for thousands of visitors at a time when Israeli-Palestinian peace seemed to be on the horizon.
Wise men and women now steer clear of the area, the scene of frequent Israeli-Palestinian clashes.
But in a morale-boosting holiday visit, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat flew into town by helicopter to attend, as he does annually, Midnight Mass in Saint Catherine's Church off Manger Square.
It was his first visit to the West Bank since the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation erupted on Sept. 28.
Israeli army checkpoints regulate access to Palestinian-ruled Bethlehem.
The military said the roadblocks would be open for the holiday "only as far as the security situation allows."
Bethlehem Mayor Hanna Nasser said Christmas festivities would be confined to religious ceremonies, including Midnight Mass, and childrens' festivals and choirs.
"It's a sad Christmas this year because of the absence of peace in the city of peace and joy," he said.
Many souvenir shops remained shuttered and hotels were largely empty except for a handful of tourists.
The Christmas tree in Manger Square, adorned with plain lights this year, was a pale imitation of the colorfully lit arbor that once provided the background for countless holiday snapshots.
"Tourism? There is nothing. Business? There is nothing," said Joseph Giacaman, who owns a souvenir store on the square.
"For almost two months we haven't seen anybody," he said. "This is the worst business has been in 20 to 25 years. Nobody feels that this is a holiday."
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