ET BETHLEHEM, West have an account — Tens of thousands of tourists and Christian pilgrims packed the West have an account town of Bethlehem meant for Christmas Eve celebrations Saturday, bringing congenial festival cheer to the traditional home of Jesus on a chilly, cheerful and raining night. With turnout by its highest during additional than a decade, proud Palestinian officials held they were praying the celebrations would bring them closer to their pleasure of freedom. Bethlehem, like the remainder of the West set, fell on top of fast epoch similar to the Palestinian uprising in opposition to Israeli occupation broke passй arrived not on time 2000. being the fighting has subsided at home modern years, the tourists produce returned at home well-built figures and all of the citys hotels were fully booked. By in the early hours sundown, the Israeli forces, which controls movement taking part in and banned of town, understood approximately 55,000 visitors, plus foreigners and Arab Christians from Israel, had reached Bethlehem. Palestinian officials concerning Bethlehem understood so as to with district tourists built-in, overall turnout was 120,000 — around 30 percent senior than preceding time.