The Times of Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/manger-square/ News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:03:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2018/11/toi_icon_512-200x200.png Manger Square | The Times of Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/manger-square/ 32 32 Bethlehem plans muted Christmas festivities under shadow of Israel-Hamas war https://www.timesofisrael.com/bethlehem-plans-muted-christmas-festivities-under-shadow-of-israel-hamas-war/ Sun, 17 Dec 2023 10:58:54 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3180133 Mayor of traditional birthplace of Jesus says celebratory events impossible while Gazans suffer during war, as city's tourism-dependent economy takes dramatic hit

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]]> Palestinians in Bethlehem look beyond religious tourism https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinians-in-bethlehem-look-beyond-religious-tourism/ Mon, 09 Dec 2019 08:23:52 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=2198425 With art and food tours, residents of West Bank city try to find new ways to attract visitors

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]]> Thousands celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem with waning Christian Palestinians https://www.timesofisrael.com/thousands-celebrate-christmas-in-bethlehem-with-waning-christian-palestinians/ Mon, 24 Dec 2018 23:49:10 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=1986232 Community makes up less than 1% of West Bank and Gaza population, according to PA; in past 50 years, thousands have emigrated, Lutheran pastor says

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]]> Amid Jerusalem move tension, faithful few flock to Bethlehem for damp Christmas https://www.timesofisrael.com/amid-jerusalem-move-tension-faithful-few-flock-to-bethlehem-for-damp-christmas/ Sun, 24 Dec 2017 23:15:48 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=1757729 Crowds thin as temperatures dip but tourists still come to visit site where Christians believe Jesus was born

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]]> Bethlehem Christmas celebrations kick off under shadow of Trump tensions https://www.timesofisrael.com/bethlehem-christmas-celebrations-kick-off-under-shadow-of-trump-tensions/ Sun, 24 Dec 2017 16:47:55 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=1757479 As Christians gather to mark birth of Jesus, demonstrations and clashes keep some tourists away

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]]> As Christmas nears in Bethlehem, Trump’s Jerusalem shift looms large https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-christmas-nears-in-bethlehem-trumps-jerusalem-shift-looms-large/ Wed, 20 Dec 2017 09:53:03 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=1754753 Locals in the West Bank birthplace of Jesus say protests against the US recognition of Israel's capital have driven away tourists

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]]> Pilgrims in Bethlehem, fears in Europe for Christmas Eve https://www.timesofisrael.com/pilgrims-in-bethlehem-fears-in-europe-for-christmas-eve/ Sat, 24 Dec 2016 14:35:35 +0000 http://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=1527254 As Christians settle in for holiday, Aleppo's minority Catholics prepare for first mass in five years; Berlin investigators search for market attacker's accomplices

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]]> Christmas pilgrims gather in Bethlehem after hard year https://www.timesofisrael.com/christmas-pilgrims-gather-in-bethlehem-after-hard-year/ Wed, 24 Dec 2014 14:25:33 +0000 http://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=1110883 Christians suffered attacks by jihadists in Syria and Iraq; Palestinian celebrations muted after Gaza conflict

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]]> Traffic bedlam grips Jesus’s birthplace https://www.timesofisrael.com/jesuss-birthplace-takes-on-traffic-bedlam/ Tue, 23 Dec 2014 12:52:33 +0000 http://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=1110304 Bethlehem municipality considers a tunnel beneath Manger Square to alleviate crowding

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]]> Pope Francis greeted by cheering crowds in Bethlehem https://www.timesofisrael.com/pope-francis-greeted-by-cheering-crowds-in-bethlehem/ Sun, 25 May 2014 07:22:29 +0000 http://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=989322 Pontiff meets with PA officials, offers speech and mass in Manger Square

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]]> Bethlehem’s Christians put a patriotic spin on a traumatic siege https://www.timesofisrael.com/bethlehems-christians-put-a-patriotic-spin-on-a-traumatic-siege/ Wed, 11 Dec 2013 04:34:51 +0000 http://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=779544 A decade later, the 39-day takeover of the Church of the Nativity by Palestinian gunmen fleeing the IDF is recounted by most -- but not all -- of the city's Christian elite as a saga of heroism

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]]> Worshipers rejoice in Jesus’s Bethlehem birthplace https://www.timesofisrael.com/worshipers-rejoice-in-jesus-bethlehem-birthplace/ Tue, 25 Dec 2012 10:16:04 +0000 http://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=322850 Pilgrims line up inside the fourth-century Church of the Nativity complex to celebrate Christmas

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]]> New female mayor gears Bethlehem up for Christmas https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-female-mayor-gears-bethlehem-up-for-christmas/ Sat, 22 Dec 2012 15:50:38 +0000 http://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=320384 Vera Baboun, a Christian, tries to raise hope in city plagued by economic woes, says 'we're celebrating birth of Jesus... and of Palestinian state'

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