Ministry of Defense
Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

Press Release: Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories
Meets with Patriarchs and Church Leaders in Commemoration of the Christmas
Holiday
Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories, Maj. Gen.
Eitan Dangot, and the Head of the Civil Administration in Judea, Brig. Gen.
Yoav (Poly) Mordechai, met today (Tuesday) with Christian leaders, including
church heads and Patriarchs, in commemoration of the upcoming Christmas
holiday and offered them best wishes for the new calendar year. The two
also updated the religious leaders about the coordination and preparations
that have taken place ahead of the religious ceremonies that will mark the
season.

Maj. Gen. Dangot and Brig. Gen. Moredchai met with the head of the
Franciscan monastery, the Custodian of the Holy Lands, the Ambassador of the
Vatican, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, the Armenian Patriarch, and the Latin
Patriarch to update them about the series of goodwill gestures for the
Christian population of Judea and Samaria that have been approved by the
Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff. Furthermore the
Christian leaders were informed that more than 300 Christian Palestinians
from the Gaza Strip will be allowed exit and thus celebrate the holiday
traditionally in a manner that respects freedom of religious expression.

The Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories, Maj. Gen.
Eitan Dangot, informed the church leaders about the readiness of Israeli
security organizations for the upcoming holiday, which includes security
coordination between the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Police, the
Border Police, the Bethlehem Municipality, and Palestinian security forces.
Furthermore, it was emphasized that during the holiday season, all the
crossings into Bethlehem will be open 24 hours a day. Additional staff from
the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria will be present at to ensure
easy passage for visitors.

The church heads expressed their great appreciation for the strong
cooperation and coordination that has taken place with the Civil
Administration in the fields of religious freedom, Christian holy sites,
security issues, and overall quality of life.

The Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories and the Head of
the Civil Administration wished the religious leaders a merry Christmas and
a happy new year on behalf of the Defense Minister and Chief of the General
Staff. They also highlighted the importance placed by Israel on the
celebration of holidays of all faiths as well as the defense establishment's
desire to see religion as a uniting force. Finally, the two expressed their
hope that the new year would be one of peace, development, and cooperation.

The Christmas holiday begins on the 24th of December and extends to the 19th
of January, 2010. During this period, different Christian groups will
commemorate the occasion in Bethlehem with different ceremonies, the most
central of which are the crossing of the Patriarch's convoy from Jerusalem
to Bethlehem and the midnight mass to be held at the Church of the Nativity.