The Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Israel expects the arrival of hundreds of thousands of tourists and pilgrims from all over the world during the coming Christmas. Only in December, when this holiday is celebrated according to the calendar of the Western Church, the number of visitors will be about 120 thousand people, most of whom are pilgrims.
According to the portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, more than half of the tourists who come to the country are Christians. For this reason, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism has organized a traditional festive reception for representatives of various Christian denominations. The reception took place at the Shimshon Center located in the Beit Shmuel district of Jerusalem. Israel's Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin conveyed congratulations on the upcoming Christmas holiday from the country's leadership to representatives of religious communities - and also invited Christians from all over the world to visit the Holy Land on a pilgrimage.
Among those invited to the reception on the eve of the Nativity of Christ were Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, Patriarch of the Armenian Orthodox Church Norman Manukyan, Guardian of the Holy Land Francesco Patton, His Eminence Vatican Ambassador Giuseppe Lazzarotto, Representative of the Latin Patriarchate, Bishop William Schumali, Dr. also ambassadors and employees of diplomatic missions from different countries, representatives of public and private institutions involved in one way or another in the promotion of Christian tourism in the Holy Land.
This year, Israel's Ministry of Transport organized a free transfer for pilgrims between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. From 15:00 on December 24 to 3:00 on December 25, buses to the city where the Savior was born will depart every half hour. In Jerusalem, it will be possible to sit on them in an open parking lot opposite the Jaffa Gate and next to Mamilla Boulevard. On the way to Bethlehem, there are also stops at the entrance to the Monastery of Mar Elias and at the Rosemary junction - before the bus crosses the Rachel checkpoint on the border with the Palestinian Authority (here each of the pilgrims will be given a small holiday gift) and head to the Nativity Basilica in Bethlehem ... On the way back, the buses will follow the same route. It is noted that, depending on the demand for transport, the interval of buses can be changed.
Another holy city for Christians in Israel - Nazareth - will host a traditional Christmas parade with fireworks.
Photo: Jorge Novominski
