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Nazareth Christmas Celebrations to Be Held as Normal, Mayor Says


FILE - Israeli Arabs perform a Nativity scene for tourists in Nazareth, Dec. 22, 2008.
FILE - Israeli Arabs perform a Nativity scene for tourists in Nazareth, Dec. 22, 2008.

Nazareth, the Israeli Arab city where Jesus is thought to have been raised, will celebrate Christmas as usual, its mayor said, denying the festivities would be curtailed in protest against the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

On Wednesday, a city spokesman said there would be some cuts to the celebrations to protest President Donald Trump's decision on Jerusalem, which angered Palestinians as well as U.S. allies in the Middle East and the rest of the world.

Mayor Ali Salam told Reuters on Saturday that three singers who had been scheduled to perform would not appear. He gave no reason for their absence, but said that the celebrations would proceed as normal.

"I don't know why people thought that there would be cuts to the celebrations. Everything, except for three singers who will not be coming, will be held as normal. We have already welcomed 60,000 people to the city today," Salam said.

Nazareth, the largest Arab town in Israel, with a population of 76,000 Muslims and Christians, is one of the Holy Land's focal points of Christmas festivities which began officially Saturday evening.

Nazareth's imposing Basilica of the Annunciation is built on a site that many Christian faithful believe was the childhood home of Jesus' mother, Mary.

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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