Mideast Conflict

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, center, waves to the press before entering the Church of Nativity, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, before beginning Christmas celebrations in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009. The top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land delivered Christmas wishes Thursday for peace in the Middle East - and prayed for the day when Palestinians would no longer be confined by Israeli barriers. Twal began Christmas celebrations with an annual procession from Jerusalem to the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Jesus' traditional birthplace.