{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='WEST BANK: BETHLEHEM: PREPARATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c435d8eafeecae167084' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c435d8eafeecae167084' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nWEST BANK: BETHLEHEM: PREPARATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eEnglish/NatIn the West Bank city of Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus was born - annual Christmas celebrations are well underway.But this year the celebrations are taking on a different tone, as the Christian population of the...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eEnglish/Nat\u003cbr/\u003eIn the West Bank city of Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus was born - annual Christmas celebrations are well underway.\u003cbr/\u003eBut this year the celebrations are taking on a different tone, as the Christian population of the town is slowly dwindling.\u003cbr/\u003eOnce an unchallenged Christian stronghold, Bethlehem now has a Muslim majority.\u003cbr/\u003eChristmas celebrations are underway in Bethlehem, a city considered to be at the very foundation of the Christian faith.\u003cbr/\u003eFor it was here, nearly 2-thousand years ago, that Jesus Christ was believed to be born.\u003cbr/\u003eIn recent years, however, the city has begun to lose its strong Christian influences with Islam now the predominant religion.\u003cbr/\u003eWhen Christina Nasser was a child in the 1950's, homes in the Manger Square neighbourhood were bedecked with colourful lights at Christmas time and carol singers went from door to door.\u003cbr/\u003eToday, most of her neighbours are Muslims, and when lights are strung up in her street, it's usually for the fasting month of Ramadan.\u003cbr/\u003ePart of a dwindling minority, Palestinian Christians such as Christina often feel like strangers in the place they consider Christ's birthplace.\u003cbr/\u003eSOUNDBITE: (English)\u003cbr/\u003e\\\"I feel it is a shame for students, young people who go abroad and study abroad and they never come back or they just come back for holidays and then they bring foreign wives or husbands, that sort of depletes the human resources in this town, in the whole area. I resent that, I feel badly about that, although sometimes I feel I wish I could leave myself. Sometimes it happens.\\\"\u003cbr/\u003eSUPER CAPTION: Christina Nasser, Palestinian Christian\u003cbr/\u003eOver the years, and especially since Israel captured the West Bank in 1967, thousands of Christians have emigrated, mainly to North and South America in search of better economic opportunities.\u003cbr/\u003eChristians now make up 35 per cent of Bethlehem's 50-thousand population.  Fifty years ago, they represented 80 per cent.\u003cbr/\u003eIn all, Christians represent less than two per cent of the 2.5-million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.\u003cbr/\u003eChristians say the Palestinian Authority, which has run the town since December 1995, has treated them with respect. \u003cbr/\u003eThe mayor and deputy mayor are Christian - as well as six of the 12 members of the city council appointed by Yasser Arafat.\u003cbr/\u003eTwo years ago this New Year's Eve, Israel handed over power to the Palestinians.  Since then thousands of people from surrounding villages have moved into Bethlehem in search of work.\u003cbr/\u003eSOUNDBITE: (English)\u003cbr/\u003e\\\"Now there are more than 30-thousand refugees. They started since then integrating in the city of Bethlehem where the demography started to change and now the city of Bethlehem is no more with the majority of Christians.\\\"\u003cbr/\u003eSUPER CAPTION: Hanna Nasser, Mayor of Bethlehem\u003cbr/\u003eDuring prayer time, Muslims often spill out from the crowded mosques into Manger Square - which is considered symbolic to Christians.\u003cbr/\u003eTourists visiting the church of Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born, say they have seen changes in recent years.\u003cbr/\u003eAmerican Christians are worried about the Christians' plight under the controlling Palestinian Liberation Organisation, who are predominantly Muslim.\u003cbr/\u003eSOUNDBITE: (English)\u003cbr/\u003e\\\"There is a lot of concern among American Christians about the status of Christians in Bethlehem, the relationship between Muslims and Christians and what part will be enhanced by the P-L-O, being in charge now. Will they give them more freedom or would they have been better off? And the truth is we don't have any answers, just questions.\\\"\u003cbr/\u003eSUPER CAPTION: Bonny Miller, American Tourist\u003cbr/\u003eBut others say Bethlehem is an example of how different religions can live together in peace.\u003cbr/\u003eAnd with only two years before the Millennium celebration, Christians can only hope that their numbers don't further diminish.\u003cbr/\u003eBethlehem, West Bank - December 15-20, 1997\u003cbr/\u003e1. General view of Bethlehem at dusk\u003cbr/\u003e2. Church spire\u003cbr/\u003e3. Santa Claus in street\u003cbr/\u003e4. Santa Clauses ringing bells at cars\u003cbr/\u003e5. General view of Bethlehem Manger Square - Mosque background\u003cbr/\u003e6. Establisher of Christina Nasser, Palestinian Christian\u003cbr/\u003e7. Christina Nasser wrapping present\u003cbr/\u003e8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Christina Nasser, Palestinian Christian\u003cbr/\u003e9. Church of the Nativity\u003cbr/\u003e10. Interior of Church of Nativity\u003cbr/\u003e11. Christians lighting candles\u003cbr/\u003e12. Close-up of women lighting candle\u003cbr/\u003e13. Man decorating Christmas tree\u003cbr/\u003e14. Close-up of man decorating Christmas tree\u003cbr/\u003e15. Man decorating tree\u003cbr/\u003e16. Establisher of Mayor of Bethlehem\u003cbr/\u003e17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hanna Nasser, Mayor of Bethlehem\u003cbr/\u003e18. Star of Bethlehem and Mosque\u003cbr/\u003e19. Palestinians Muslims praying at Manger Square\u003cbr/\u003e20. Palestinian praying\u003cbr/\u003e21. Palestinian flags with church in the background\u003cbr/\u003e22. Tourists Interior of Church of Nativity\u003cbr/\u003e23. SOUNDBITE: (English) Bonny Miller, American tourist\u003cbr/\u003e24. Muslim and Christian kids at Christmas party\u003cbr/\u003e25. Man dancing\u003cbr/\u003e26. Palestinian women dancing\u003cbr/\u003e27. Little girl with bell dancing\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eCurator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan class=\"star-rating\" aria-label=\"3.5 out of 5 stars\" role=\"img\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci 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class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eDate\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e1997\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-solid fa-language'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eAudiences\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?audience_ids%5B%5D=371079\u0026amp;grade_ids%5B%5D=259\u0026amp;search_tab_id=1\"\u003eFor Teacher Use\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\u003cdd class=\"text-muted\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-lock mr5\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e2 more...\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='concepts-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='concepts-heading'\u003eConcepts\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='details-list concepts' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator' data-type='concepts'\u003esocial issues, christianity, islam, christmas\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='concepts-toggle-buttons' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' class='more btn-link' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-down ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='true' class='less btn-link' style='display: none;' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow Less\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-up ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='additional-tags-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' 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