As part of her “Where Jesus Walked” series, which explores Israel’s Christian sites, TLV1’s Laragh Widdess spent Christmas this year in Bethlehem.
As the birthplace of Christ, Bethlehem usually attracts huge numbers of tourists from around the world every Christmas, who help sustain its economy. But as a Palestinian town in the West Bank, the message of Christmas is interpreted through the prism of occupation, and this year the tourists stayed away.
On Christmas eve, Laragh spoke to people in Manger Square and attended a service in the Church of the Nativity (in the company of President Mahmoud Abbas), to find out what Christmas means in this corner of the world, and what it means to her.
Music:
King’s College Cambridge (2013) – O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Frank Sinatra – White Christmas
King’s College Cambridge (2010) – The First Nowell Miriam Tukan – Silent Night
As part of her “Where Jesus Walked” series, which explores Israel’s Christian sites, TLV1’s Laragh Widdess spent Christmas this year in Bethlehem.
As the birthplace of Christ, Bethlehem usually attracts huge numbers of tourists from around the world every Christmas, who help sustain its economy. But as a Palestinian town in the West Bank, the message of Christmas is interpreted through the prism of occupation, and this year the tourists stayed away.
On Christmas eve, Laragh spoke to people in Manger Square and attended a service in the Church of the Nativity (in the company of President Mahmoud Abbas), to find out what Christmas means in this corner of the world, and what it means to her.
Listen to the first episode in the series, Where Jesus Walked: Nazareth Village.
Music:
King’s College Cambridge (2013) – O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Frank Sinatra – White Christmas
King’s College Cambridge (2010) – The First Nowell
Miriam Tukan – Silent Night
Written and produced by Laragh Widdess