"I was thinking that once again, our leaders sold us to the Jews," he continued. "That was when I decided to go and fight for our land, which I believe was ours."
Since the Palestinian Authority took control of Bethlehem in 1995, the Christian population has massively declined. Today, only around 10,000 Christians live in the city of about 75,500 residents.
The Jerusalem Municipality gives out free Christmas trees to Christian residents – local Arab Christians, immigrants from the former Soviet Union, and Christian volunteers who are in the city.
The parade is a rollicking annual march that begins at Mary’s Well in Nazareth — next to a bustling Christmas market — and continues down Paul VI Street.
While there is belief that Christians support 'greater Israel', described in the Bible, survey results suggest that the majority of US Christians prioritize peace over End of Days aspiratations.
In previous guidance from 2016, the Vatican said the ashes must be kept in "sacred places", and therefore neither at home, divided among family members nor scattered to the wind.
Located just south of Jerusalem, Bethlehem is heavily reliant for income and jobs on visitors from all over the world who come to see the Church of the Nativity.
Evangelical Christians continue to stand with Israel, Yael Eckstein, president and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, said at the Jerusalem Post event 'The Second Front.'
Authorities accuse Paul Mackenzie, head of the Good News International Church, of ordering his followers to starve themselves and their children to death.