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.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
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.
We can't do this work alone.
The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident – ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded – I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.
There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.
As a Times of Israel reporter, I’m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit’s. But my colleagues and I can't do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.
— Stav Levaton, military reporter
Yes, I'll join
Yes, I'll join
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
