♪ born in bethlehem!n in bethlehem! ♪ noel! ♪ noel! ♪ noel! ♪ noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! ♪ noel! ♪ noel! ♪ noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ a ma mai, a ma mai, a ma mai, a ma mai ♪ ♪ a ma mai, a ma mai ♪ ♪ a ma mai, a ma mai ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ kana nge zola ku zaba mwana. ♪ ♪ nge fwiti kwisa ku fukama. ♪ kana nge zola ku zaba mwana. ♪ ♪ nge fwiti kwisa ku fukama. ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ [all exclaim joyously] ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ kana nge zola ku zaba mwana. ♪ ♪ nge fwiti kwisa ku fukama. ♪ kana nge zola ku zaba mwana. ♪ ♪ nge fwiti kwisa k

a side ironny that christians that live in bethlehem are desperate to leave. julie stall explains. >> unpredictable is how christians are described. forced marriages between christian women and muslim men. worst is against converts to christianity. >> if they were born muslim and decided to find jesus. this is a like being a traitor to god. and there is very substantial chance they will be beaten, forced to leave the country or killed. >> threat against christians from fellow palastinians has subsided since 2005. years of violence ruined touriu. a record number of tourists this season. many christians are doing well financially. they are still subject to neighbors that could throw them in jail because they are christians. this has forced many to leave the holy land. those departures have depleted the population of bethlehem area from a high of 80 percent to around 10 percent. >> it is my prediction that if the remaining christians in the west bank and gaza. gaza only has maybe 1,000-2,000 christians. if their needs are not addressed in 10-15, at most 20 years,

♪ born in bethlehem! ♪ he come down, he come from the glorious kingdom ♪ ♪ oh yes, believer! ♪ oh yes, believer! ♪ ♪ oh yes, believer! ♪ born in bethlehem! ♪ noel! ♪ noel! ♪ noel! ♪ noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! ♪ noel! ♪ noel! ♪ noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ a ma mai, a ma mai, a ma mai, a ma mai ♪ ♪ a ma mai, a ma mai ♪ ♪ a ma mai, a ma mai ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ kana nge zola ku zaba mwana. ♪ ♪ nge fwiti kwisa ku fukama. ♪ kana nge zola ku zaba mwana. ♪ ♪ nge fwiti kwisa ku fukama. ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ [all exclaim joyously] ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto. ♪ ♪ noel! noel! ♪ jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti be

there are far more mosques in bethlehem than churches. three out of four people who live here are muslims. these girls show off their traditional dress. >> merry christmas! >> reporter: this is a day of great celebration here, of course, by there's one thing the people of bethlehem can never forget -- they're surrounded by a wall. the wall which israel said it built to stop terrorists looms over much of the town. even the catholic leader in the holy land come to preside over christmas in bethlehem must pass through it. and while the 50-foot christmas tree symbolizes peace, ba oshar builds a different kind of tree. >> it's christmastime, time to raise our voice. >> reporter: an israeli watch tower, grenades, tear gas canisters, the key, she says the key to the homeland and symbolizing a home for the refugees. >> it's part of our therapy to speak about it and see it visually. >> reporter: christmas in bethlehem, for some a platform for propaganda, for most a day of joy and hope. martin fletcher, nbc news, bethlehem. >>> up next -- as "night

this is bethlehem where jesus was born.ing up on the program, a special guide will take us on a tour of the church of the nativity, travel to nazareth to see a recreation of life at the time of jesus. and then to jerusalem, where will learn how to tell a fake from a find and why many religious leaders are angry about a best selling book called "assault on christianity." but, first, what do we know of the birth of jesus? how do we know it? the books of the old testament were in circulation as oral history for thousands of years before the birth of jesus and put together in the second century before the christian era and the saying and stories of jesus were first passed down and preserved by word of mouth. >> it is a great mystery of church history that we do not always know exactly how they spread. archaeologist and bible scholar authored a book. >> we do not know who wrote matthew, mark and john, those are names attributed in the 2nd century but it was written down early the sources for other books of the bibles when 20 yea

this is bethlehem where jesus was born.ing up on the program, a special guide will take us on a tour of the church of the nativity, travel to nazareth to see a recreation of life at the time of jesus. and then to jerusalem, where will learn how to tell a fake from a find and why many religious leaders are angry about a best selling book called "assault on christianity." but, first, what do we know of the birth of jesus? how do we know it? the books of the old testament were in circulation as oral history for thousands of years before the birth of jesus and put together in the second century before the christian era and the saying and stories of jesus were first passed down and preserved by word of mouth. >> it is a great mystery of church history that we do not always know exactly how they spread. archaeologist and bible scholar authored a book. >> we do not know who wrote matthew, mark and john, those are names attributed in the 2nd century but it was written down early the sources for other books of the bibles when 20 yea

standard at citibank. . >>> new tonight, it is the special season for tourism in bethlehem. christians are heading the. while it should be a big boom, many say they have found creative ways to collect what gets spent. >> reporter: not hard to tell it is the holiday season. giant trees in the center and all around the sights and sounds of christmas can be found. at the nearby church at the nativity where they believe jesus was born, visitors gather around. they are among the 1 million chrissians who come to the holy land each year -- christians who come to the holly land each year. tourism officials say it's hard to get them to spend their money here, siting stiff and unfair competition from israel. >> reporter: he is the minister of tourism. israel uses its control of the gateway, airports and land crossings to direct tourists towards spending more time at religious sites under israeli control. >> this is a unfair distribution. even for israel. missed opportunity because they use us as a bridge. >> reporter: tourism officials down play that criticism saying increased tourism

we'll go live to bethlehem from rome.king the day and show you what is going on there life. only coricidin hbp has a heart, right here. it's the only cold and flu brand that won't raise your blood pressure. coricidin hbp. powerful cold medicine with a heart. shouldn't it be given in an amazing way? ♪ the lexus december to remember sales event is here, but only for a limited time. see your lexus dealer. the newest droid armed with motocast. granting you wireless access to files on your home computer from almost anywhere. 4g lte equipped to pull pictures, music, and movies. all at mind-melting speeds. powered by verizon, this droid is too powerful to fall into the wrong hands. forty years ago, he wasn't worried about retirement. he'd yet to hear of mutual funds, iras, or annuities. back then, he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement solutions for our military, veterans and their families. from investments... to life insurance...

not in the city of bethlehem, it seems.ain why merchants feel like they're being short-changed by the israeli government ♪ >> reporter: it's not hard to tell it's the holiday season in bethlehem. a join the tree stands in the center of manger square and all around, the sights and sounds of christmas can be found in abundance. at the nearby church of the nativity, built at the site where christians believe jesus was born, visitors from around the world gather for this important stop in their religious pilgrimage. they are among the over 1 million christian pilgrims who come to the holyland each year and represent the fastest growing sector in the tourism industry. while the number of tourists visiting bethlehem is up compared to last year, palestinian tourism officials say it's hard to get them to spend their money here fighting what they say is stiff and unfair competition from israel. this is the palestinian minister of tourism. she says israel uses its control of the holyland gateways, airports, ports and land crossings t

we can officially say that here in bethlehem.out 1:00 o'clock in the morning, so midnight mass has wrapped up and that is where at the very end, they take a doll representing the baby jesus and walk it from the church of the nativity cathedral behind me, down into the grotto. that's when the patriarch claims the baby was born and it's officially marks making that one of many reasons that this is a christmas celebration in bethlehem unleak any other. -- unlike any other. with bagpipers leading the way and a full drum corp. keeping time, the palestinian boy scouts marched into bethlehem for christmas eve. by mid afternoon, the patriarch arrived, who announced the beginning of christmas. the same place it started more than 2 millennia ago. >> we're finally here. it's a pilgrimage of sort. you're here where it all started 2,000 years ago. ♪ >> for each of the 90,000 people who are expected to visit the holy land, they've got the trimming, festivities and the carols and all the decorations. but what everyone really comes for is this,

remarkably, scuffles among the priesthood in bethlehem are not unusual. most years, they come to blows over territorial disputes within the church. the 1700 year old building, one of the holiest sites in christianity, it is in a bad state of repair because the priests cannot agree who should pay for its upkeep. today, no one was seriously injured but christmas cheer was in short supply. >> from the church of bethlehem too one of ice and snow. this place opened on a german ski resort. it has a towering 19 meters high. it was built to mark the anniversary of another snow church made by the the locals in 1911. it will be used for religious ceremonies, cultural events, and as a tourist attraction. there was a controversial and to a yacht race and it is not clear who has won. the margin of victory was just three minutes. >> it was an epic finished to the famous 1,100 kilometer race down eastern australia from sydney to the island state of tasmania. just three minutes separated the leader from its tenacious challenger at the end of one of the toughest assignmen

palestinian boycotts marched in bethlehem on christmas eve. patriarch arrived to announce the gingof christmas. the same place it started two millennium ago. >> merry christmas everybody. >> despite the feeling of celebration, there was an unmistakable security presence. palestinian security officers armed with ak 47 . tourism is the life blood of the bethlehem economy and the last thing they can afford is an attack. >> it is nice being a part of it and here of all places. >> it is interesting to celebrate christmas with the middle east. >> each of the 90,000 people expected to visit the holy land. they have trimmings and festivities and carols and what everyone comes for is a chance to walk here in the church of the nativity and see where christ was born and many say they walk out a changed person. >> going in and touching where christ was born. that was wonderful. and right now. we are about four and half hours away from midnight mass. it is standing room only. and the line to get in starts now two hours and there are a lot of people out in

to me that this is the bethlehem that we ought to be looking at instead of bethlehem of judea. >> itunlikely that this argument is going to trump centuries of tradition that point to the bethlehem of faith. >> it is a historical place, revered for centuries by the faithful. it is the place where it is celebrated jesus was born. that's enough for me in my devotion. it's not enough for me as a scientist. >> and what of the other great tradition of the first christmas, the star in the east? was it a myth? or did it really exist? astronomer michael mulnar may have found the answer on a 2,000-year-old coin he bought a few years ago for $50. on one side, mulnar noticed the astrological sign for aries, which stood for judea in ancient astrology. on the other side was the god jupiter. >> when i came across the coin that showed me that aries the ram was the sign of the jews, and i asked myself, well, what event would have happened in aries the ram? >> so, armed with the computer and charts of the ancient heavens, mulnar started plotting the course of jupiter in the constellation of aries arou

nations rise ♪ join the triumphs ♪ of the sky ♪ with angelic hosts proclaim ♪ christ is born in bethlehems sing ♪ glory to the newborn king ♪ we sing ♪ we praise you god ♪ we thank you, lord ♪ hark the herald ♪ angels sing ♪ glory to ♪ the newborn king ♪ peace on earth ♪ and mercy mild ♪ god and sinners reconciled ♪ joyful, all ye nations, rise ♪ join the triumph of the skies ♪ with angelic host proclaim ♪ christ is born in bethlehem ♪ hark, the herald angels sing ♪ glory to the newborn king ♪ glory ♪ hear the angels sing ♪ jesus christ, the king of kings ♪ glory ♪ to the newborn king ♪ glory ♪ we hear the angels sing ♪ yes, we do ♪ glory ♪ king of kings ♪ glory, to the newborn king ♪ lord, we love you ♪ lord, we praise you ♪ thank you, for jesus ♪ christ, by highest heaven adord ♪ christ, the everlasting lord ♪ late in time behold him come ♪ offspring of the favored one ♪ veiled in flesh, the godhead see ♪ hail incarnate deitiy ♪ pleased as man, with men to dwell ♪ jesus, our emanuel ♪ hark, the herald angels sing ♪ glory to the newborn king ♪ joy, to the world, the lord is come ♪ let ea

a holiday broom fight in bethlehem when "way too early" comes right back.e announcer ] new vis nature fusion cold & flu syrup. flavored with real honey. powerful cold medicine that leaves out artificial flavors and dyes and instead uses something more natural, honey. new vicks nature fusion cold & flu. ♪ ♪ >>> you heard an earlier sound bite we played newt gingrich saying on wednesday, conceivably, he could finish in the top four in the iowa caucuses and still win the republican nomination. if you want to sound smart today, tell your friends, since 1976, senator john mccain is the only republican to finish outside of the top three and go on to win the party's nomination. mccain finished fourth in 2008 behind mike huckabee, mitt romney, and just a hair behind the aforementioned fred thompson. >>> enough of the real news. let's huddle up around the water cooler to watch day two -- there was a day two, believe it or not -- of the newt versus mitt lucile in the chocolate factory feud. it kicked off when romney took a jab at gingrich's failure to get on the virg

. >>> also sharing the wealth from pilgrims in bethlehem. israelis and palestinians struggle over tourism money. >>> an activist in egypt almost beaten to death now telling her story. >> translator: i don't know how much longer they'll continue to kill us, she says. how much longer will they continue to kill us? okay, team! after age 40, we can start losing muscle -- 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! >>> all right. we know a loot of you are going to be hitting the road, hitting the skies, trying to get somewhere for the holidays. you have trouble spots out there. can they avoid them though, chad myers? some you can't avoid. this is colorado. digging

martin fletcher, bethlehem. >>> we take you now to india. a group of women gathered with candles as part of east and tourists flocked to a national park in the north where christmas lights brightened streets. christians make up about 2% of the population in bangladesh, hundreds of people attended mass in the country's capital. most are roman catholic. portuguese and mission nars brought to bank will desh in the late 18th and 17th centuries. christians also celebrated mass at st. joseph church in baghdad, one week after the withdrawal of all u.s. combat forces from iraq. the christian population in baghdad has been dwindling. before 2003, the number is about 450 to 600,000. in october of last year, gunman linked to al qaeda, seized the our lady of baghdad and there were hostages and hundreds injured during the attack. >>> people packed one southern california mall looking for deals and bargains. many waited until saturday to wrap up their holiday shopping. businesses usually shut down during christmas, but there are some shops opened during t

remarkably, scuffles among the priesthood in bethlehem are not unusual. most years they come to blows over territorial disputes within the church. the 1700 year old building, one of the holy sites in christianity, is and it does state of repair large the because the priests cannot agree who should pay for its of tikrit. -- it is in a state of repair largely because the priests cannot agree on who should pay for it. >> i find out why the lawn mower is bad. -- find out why the lawn mower is bad. soldiers from ireland fought across europe in world war ii, landing on the beaches of normandy on d-day and fighting the battle of the bulge. when they came home, they were treated as traders and put on the government blacklist. those still alive are recognized as war heroes. >> once more, the people turned out for the parade of the heroes army on st. patrick's day. >> 1939, the leaders of the republic of ireland decided that their country should remain neutral. the next few years, more than 10% of the irish army deserted to join the fight against fascism. on their

remarkably, scuffles among the priesthood in bethlehem are not unusual. most years they come to blows over territorial disputes within the church. the 1700 year old building, one of the holy sites in christianity, is and it does state of repair large the because the priests cannot agree who should pay for its of tikrit. -- it is in a state of repair largely because the priests cannot agree on who should pay for it. >> i find out why the lawn mower is bad. -- find out why the lawn mower is bad. soldiers from ireland fought across europe in world war ii, landing on the beaches of normandy on d-day and fighting the battle of the bulge. when they came home, they were treated as traders and put on the government blacklist. those still alive are recognized as war heroes. >> once more, the people turned out for the parade of the heroes army on st. patrick's day. >> 1939, the leaders of the republic of ireland decided that their country should remain neutral. the next few years, more than 10% of the irish army deserted to join the fight against fascism. on their

jamie, back to you. >> leland vittert reporting to us from bethlehem.eautiful scene there. >> absolutely. some families, though, are dealing with a major void in their hearts on this holiday season. family and friends of missing ayla reynolds, they want her to come home safely. the latest in this search for the missing 2-year-old. >> we're also going to take a look at a young man's death allegedly the result of a violent hazing that happened on the university campus. how does something like that happen? what do we need to do about it to keep our kids safe? our legal panel weighs in next. >> that really hurt. it really hurt to know that people would do that to somebody. especially because of the kind of person robert was. it's obvious things are so hushed and quiet this secrecy. oh, yeah. it definitely hurts. 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female anno

it is a huge business here in bethlehem.g. >> dave: merry christmas, man. >> and now, vatican city, thousands of the faithful gathered in st. peters square, there to hear pope benedict xvi deliver the christmas day message and blessing and here's what the pope had to say. >> dear brothers and sisters, in rome and throughout the world, on this christmas, 2011, let us turn to the child, to the son of god and say, come. and let us repeat the words, for many people who experienced a clearly difficult situation, let us speak out for those who have no voice. >> the pope also presided over christmas eve mass last night. his message, to remember the true meaning of christmas, and not get caught up in the commercialization of the season. and now to afghanistan. this new to us. how troops are celebrating christmas, u.s. soldiers at the nato base in kabul and some dressed up and they were serving a special christmas lunch in concluding pasta and turkey and, of course the traditional christmas cake, they say and now to reality of the si

what started this violent brawl in bethlehem... what are you guys shooting at this time? time? shoot... and the reason their parents approve. growing.../ - between ..the u.s.... and iran.../ over.../ a... major...oil channel... in the .../ gulf region.../// áá nowáá saudia... arabia.../ is... in the mix...//.áádougáá mckelway... inn washington.../ áááitháá war of words..../ ovvr... the strait...// of... hormuz... 33 3 iran conductinn wargames in the ssrait of hormuz.... as tension continues to proo over tehrrn's threat to block the key channel, if the u.s, eu aad key arab states impose an embargo on oil purchases from iran. about 20 percent of the world's oii passes through the strait of hormuz. sayyari says: "closing the strait of hormuz is uch an easy job for the islamic republic of iran's armed forces, army's naval guards navy." the pentagon releasing a statement saying any attempt to block the strait would not be tolerated.... tehran firing back saying the u.s is in no position to give iran orders when it comes to the strait of hormuz. the state department keeping issue...

dozens of monks got into a brawl inside the church of the nativity in bethlehem. it started when they were cleaning the church with brooms and some accused others of encroaching on their parts of the church. security forces had to be brought in to break up the fight. no one was seriously hurt. the church is in the town of jesus' birth and shared by roman catholics, armenians, and greek orthodox members. they got swept up in a moment. >>> maybe you want to skip ahead to the weekend. one part of the country is doing that. a tiny island nation of samoa and a neighboring nation will jump four in time and will skip friday altogether. they're moving across the international dateline top-of- the-line with western trading partners. for 190,000 people, friday, december 30, 2011 simply never happened. anyone scheduled to work on friday will get full pay for the day they missed. the >>> still ahead, a final look at the weather with steve. >>> a bad way to start a marriage. a vermont man popped the question to his girlfriend with a stolen engagement ring. the 25-year-old stol

topping the news today, christmas day in bethlehem.ands of worshippers attending mass today at the church of the nativity. it's the place where christians believe is the birthplace of jesus christ. >> it's a white christmas for some folks in texas. look at that. a slow moving storm is covering part of the state with nearly 3 inches of snow in texas. >> and i got to say our troops in afghanistan and around the world celebrating christmas with a traditional meal, sitting down at a feast with all the trimmings. they deserve it all including roast turkey we hear. >> and on this christmas sunday in vatican city, thousands of christians from all over the world celebrating in st. peter's square. delivering his annual christmas message this morning. urging an end to violence in syria and calling on the faithful to find their true meaning of christmas. greg burke streaming live from rome with the very latest. merry christmas, greg. good morning. >> merry christmas, eric. you know, that's right. basically, pope, very simple message of a plea for

today's event was between washington and bethlehem. choirs participated in song. organizers say they hope the event will foster peace on earth and good will toward all people. >>> first lady michelle obama took more than 800 toys from the white house staff to donate to the u.s. marine's toys for tots campaign. mrs. obama carried a big red bag of toys for a meeting with marines and their families friday at theon the anacostia boeing. >> this year is like no other. the demand increases even as giving increases. there are more and more families that need support and help. so it is not too late. anybody who is watching this. any of our press who are writing about this, it's still important to nudge our neighbors to say give, give, give. >> sorting toys for the event, she also got an invitation to escort a local soldier to next year's marine corps ball. aaron leaks of frederick, maryland, asked the first lady to be his date. the first lady told the 20-year- old that she would love to go, but he would need to check with her husband. who happens to be his commander in ch

police stormed the basilica of the nativity in bethlehem today to break up a fight between greek and armenian o >> even the men of god can't keep their cool. palestinian police stormed the basilica of bethlehem today to break up the fight between greek and armenian orthodox clerics. this is the spot where jesus was believed to have been born. the dispute started between the preparation of orthodox christmas. the clergy man accidentally pushed his broom into space controlled by the other group. >>> terms, this ambitious insults flew in every direction. >> kim jung il aspect to alter thousands in korea. the 69 -year-old dictator died earlier this month of heart attack. the three-hour procession was just part of the two-day statewide payroll. his youngest son, kim jong un, will succeed in father. >>> and very different room, committed in south korea. they celebrated the death. of course, they opposed teaching us back succession, and demonstrators spray-painted and set fire to images of the late dictator. some are calling for reunification in the two koreas. >>> the united states hazard

the israel military says some 55,000 visitors have arrived in bethlehem already. palestinian officials say with local tourists included, overall turnout was 120,000. the number is expected to rise throughout the night. elsewhere here at home, the holiday tradition, people lining up by the thousands for caroling. ken moll ken joins us live. >> reporter: it's right here at the washington national cathedral. the caroling service began a couple of minutes ago. >> this is so exciting for us to have all the carolers and my kids can come and it's early enough and it's great. >> reporter: it's the most popular day of the year for the cathedral. thousands will back the walls of this holy place in two separate services this christmas eve. this crowd is showing up to hear and sing traditional christmas carols among parishioners. it seats upwards of 3,000 people and we're told there won't be any open seats in the house tonight. >> it serves as a spiritual home for the nation. i think the cathedral has been in people's eyes and ears since the earthquake in august and we're jus

kevin flowers explains. ♪ >> reporter: it's not hard to tell it's the holiday season in bethlehem.nter of manger square. all around the sights and sounds of christmas can be found in abundance. at the nearby church of the nativity built at the site where christians believe jesus was born, crist visitors from aroun world gather at this important stop. they are among the over 1 million christian pilgrims who come to the holy land each year and represent the fastest growing sector in the tourism industry. while the number of tourists visiting in bethlehem is up compared to last year, palestinian tourism officials say it's hard to get them to spend their money here, citing what they say is stiff and unfair competition from israel. this woman is the palestinian minister of tourism. she says israel uses its control of the holy land gateways, airports, ports and land crossings to unfairly direct tourists towards spending more time at religious sites under israeli control. >> we still have 5% to 10% of the revenues, 90% is spent on the israeli side, which is an unfair distribution. i belie

kevin flower, cnn, bethlehem. >> i'll be back with you at the top of the hour. right now, time for the good doctor. >>> merry christmas. happy hanukkah, thanks for being with us this morning. i'm dr. sanjay gupta. >> everything just tasted better when my grandma was around. >> waking up on a special morning? a secret recipe for lasting memories. >> come here. >> story about a man and his dog that will warm anybody's heart. plus, it's my turn in the hot seat. >> i'm a neurosurgeon. >> stories that i never shared before until now. >>> first, 40 years ago this past friday, december 23rd, president richard nixon declared the war on cancer. >> i hope that in the years ahead, that we may look back on this day and this action as being the most significant action taken during this administration. >> president nixon had big expectations and we have come a long way since 1971. still, even today, cancer will strike down 1 in 4 americans. there are smart people who may tell you up front that we may be losing the war on cancer. but this morning i want to talk about our succe

mass was held at the church of the nativity in bethlehem. palestinian president mahmoud abbas was among the officials there. some 40,000 to 50,000 people expected to celebrate the season in the west bank town this year. palestinians say they're praying the celebrations will bring them closer to independence. >>> you might be a little hard-pressed to find businesses open tonight, but there is one spot in d.c. that is catching some serious business tonight. news4's chris gordon is live on capitol hill and this is where, chris, a lot of family traditions happen. >> reporter: well, aaron, tonight the white house christmas tree attracted visitors from near and far. >> reporter: here to see the christmas lights on the tree and all of the decorations. here in president's park right across from the white house, for some it's become a holiday tradition. >> i'm here tonight because it's my birthday and every year on my birthday we always come here to see the trees. >> reporter: the white house christmas tree, the trees representing each state and the

. >> the basilica of the nativity in bethlehem has seen violence. the priests came to blows in preparation for this year's orthodox celebrations. >> cleaning up for christmas. greek and armenian orthodox priests had been preparing the church for orthodox celebrations in just over a week's time. but the rival christian denominations each control sections of the church, and fiercely guard their turf. someone overstepped the line. what started as a sweep up ended as a punch up. the broomstick was the weapon of choice. palestinian police eventually had to intervene. remarkably, scuffles among the priesthood in bethlehem are not unusual. most years, they come to blows over territorial disputes within the church. the 1700-year-old building, one of the holiest sites in christianity, is in a bad state of repair, largely because the priests cannot agree who should pay for its upkeep. today, nobody was seriously injured, but christmas cheer was in short supply. bbc news, in the west bank. >> we will leave you with our top story again. masses of soldiers and c