"Such a law undermines the two-state solution, further eliminating hopes of peace," the patriarchate said.

Embroiled in a legal battle to protect their property from confiscation by the Israeli government, the Nasser family has made their farm a symbol of nonviolent resistance.

After two Christmas seasons in which the political reality had overtaken holiday cheer, people seemed primed to finally feel some merriment in Bethlehem.

"It is very encouraging to witness the faith of the community of Christians living in that enclosed space and also in the midst of a huge Muslim community majority," said Cardinal Nichols.

"I think all the churches want to save this church because here Jesus was born," Giammarco Piacenti said.

"I don't want to exaggerate, but there is a feeling on the part of the Palestinians that the current Israeli government just wants a purely Jewish [Jerusalem]."

The Holy Fire ceremony has become a point of contention over the past 10 years between the Israeli police and local Christians.

Several anti-Christian slogans in Hebrew were discovered scrawled along the walls of the Benedictine Dormition Abbey monastery and the neighboring Greek Orthodox seminary, both located on Mount Zion next to the walls of the Old City.

Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal urged moderate celebrations of Christmas this year because of the current political situation, but he also called for an end to the arms trade.In his Dec. 16 Christmas message, he urged a more spiritual holiday celebration and also encouraged all parishes to turn off the C

"I do believe all our prayers are headed in the same direction and can be a really powerful force coming together," said Peta Jones Pellach, an Orthodox Jewish woman. "I don't see it as just symbolic. I believe in the power of prayer."