Israeli girl Yaeli Amir’s secular Jewish parents embrace Christmas, not for religious reasons but as an occasion for celebration. The same holds for Halloween.
An influx of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, combined with tech firms trying to project image of cosmopolitan savvy, mean the festival is becoming increasingly mainstream
With Israel closed to tourists and its citizens restricted from travelling abroad, the mainly Arab city of Nazareth, normally a magnet for Christian pilgrims, has been thronged with Jewish visitors.
“It’s not the Christmas that we hoped for, but still, the atmosphere is great, many Jewish Israelis are coming, many locals are coming,” said Nazareth tour guide Aziz Banna, 41.
As the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant spreads globally, Israel has banned travel to more than 50 countries.
Major foreign destinations including the US, UK and France are on the no-fly list, which has led Israelis in the run-up to Christmas
With Israel closed to tourists and its citizens restricted from traveling abroad, the mainly Arab city of Nazareth, normally a magnet for Christian pilgrims, has been thronged with Jewish visitors.
For a growing number of Jews in Israel, it s beginning to look a lot like Christmas jta.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from jta.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.