Netanyahu wishes Christian world a merry Christmas

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a Christmas greeting to Christians the world over in a video clip that was posted online on Tuesday but apparently recorded last week, after a ferocious storm blanketed the capital in snow.

Netanyahu, who looked somewhat chilly as he stood wrapped in a scarf against a white Jerusalem backdrop, spoke of the values and history shared by Jews and Christians.

“We celebrate Christmas with you, we know the importance you attach to our common heritage, to the State of Israel, and the city of Jerusalem where so much of our common history was forged,” he said.

“We have a great past, we have common values, we have the desire to seize a common future of security, prosperity, and peace. So, from the city of peace, Jerusalem, I send the warmest Christmas greetings to all of you. Merry Christmas.”

Slightly more than 160,000 Christian citizens currently reside in Israel, less than two percent of the country’s overall population.

On Christmas Eve thousands of pilgrims and tourists descended on the town of Bethlehem south of Jerusalem to participate in the traditional festivities that include midnight mass at the Church of the Nativity.