France: Arafat Has Right to Join Xmas Celebrations in Bethlehem

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, December 25, 2002

France: Arafat Has Right to Join Xmas Celebrations in Bethlehem

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France considers that Christians and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat have the right to attend Christmas celebrations in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ, the French Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

"France demands that all those who are faithful could attend Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem as long as they wish to," saidBernard Valero, deputy ministry spokesman.

"France calls on Israel to take appropriate measures that will conciliate its security concerns and the liberty of movements of the faithful," he said.

To prevent Arafat from going to Bethlehem is a "vexing and useless" measure and has "no security justification at all," he added.

Christians around the city are due to attend a Roman Catholic mass in a church adjoining the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem's central square on Tuesday evening.

Arafat attended Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem every year between 1995 and 2000.

Last month, the Israeli government announced that it bans Arafat from joining the celebrations for the second consecutive year.

The Israeli army reportedly withdrew its troops from Bethlehem on early Tuesday, allowing Christmas prayer services to proceed inthe city.

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