Christians Meet In Old Jerusalem

Press, Volume C, Issue 29706, 27 December 1961, Page 9

Christians Meet In Old Jerusalem

(AZ Prc» Awoctatron— Copy right) JERUSALEM, December 26. Nearly 3000 Christians living in Israel passed through the Mandelbaum Gate last night after their annual Christmas reunion with friends and relatives in the Jordan-held old city of Jerusalem.

Under the terms of the United Nations truce between Israel and Jordan, a number of Arab and non-Arab Christians are allowed to pass from Israel into Jordan for Christmas. Thousands of Christian pilgrims walked through the sun-bathed streets of Bethlehem yesterday to Christina* worship «t the Church of the Nativity, the British United Pres* reported. In the fields nearby, shepherd* in long Arab cloaks watched their flock* a* they did when Christ wa* bum nearly 2000 year* ago. Church bells and Christmas music from loudspeakers rang through the Square of the Manger outside the Church of the Nativity. The 113-y ear-old Greek Orthodox Church of St Michael at Jaffa, Israel, was destroyed by lira last night. Valuable ikon* and holy book* were lost in the blaze.

The former Nazi S.S colone., Adolf Eichmann, refused an offer of a special Christmas service to be held i for him by a clergyman in his death cell in Ramleh Prison near Tel Aviv, it was learned today His attitude was in line with his statement before the Court which convicted him of crimes against humanity that although he believed in God. he was not connected with any existing religion, the Associated Press reported He partook of a special Christmas dinner with turkey which was prepared for a number of other non-Jewish prisoners mostly Arabs of the Christian faith—who are in Ramleh gaol together with Jewish prisoners. His mail from abroad included a number of Christmas cards. During the holidays he stopped work on his memoirs.