An Armenian priest was assaulted by four yeshiva students in the Old City of Jerusalem Thursday afternoon, in the second such attack in the last three months, police said.

The altercation began when one of the yeshiva students spat on the priest, Father Avedis, in front of the Armenian Monastery where he lives in the Armenian Quarter, the priest said. The Jewish assailant refused to go to police with the priest, and the two got into a scuffle.

Etgar Lefkovits, THE JERUSALEM POST, Jan. 6, 2005

How can any cash-strapped local authority say `no' to generous donations from devout American Christians, which are earmarked for assisting the poor, the disabled, new immigrants and other unfortunates?

It is hard to find a cash-strapped local authority in this country that is not supported by contributions from devout Christians from the United States via the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (popularly called the "Friendship Fund" in Hebrew). During its four years of local operation, the fund has become one of the leading philanthropic organizations in the country. In 2004, it contributed about NIS 100 million to Israel - an increase of 12 percent compared to the previous year.

Ruth Sinai, Haaretz, Jan 7, 2005

Israeli Veteran Reporter Jerrold Kessel quit CNN last year and is now writing features on different subjects. He has been following the soccer team of Skahnin that comes from a poor Arab town in Galilee. This team won the Israeli Soccer Cup and represented Israel in Europe. Kessel is writing a "Sakhnin Diary". In his last report, he writes about the Christian population of Sakhnin: 1,200 out of 25,000.

Jerrold Kessel, Haaretz, Jan 3, 2004

"Nazareth Village" has been recreated in Israel as an authentic 'first century' village-a place of 'living history'. It looks similar to the way Bethlehem and Nazareth looked during Biblical times, and Interpreters re-enact what Mary and Joseph did.

Nazareth Village brings a bit different kind of Christmas story; it will give you a new perspective on the birth of Jesus.

By Chris Mitchell, CBN, Dec 24, 2004

On 24 December 2004, the Haifa District Court rejected Adalah's request for an immediate injunction, filed on behalf of the Arab Students? Committee, ordering Haifa University to permit the placement of a Christmas tree in the University's Main Building. The request for injunction was filed urgently in the hope that the tree would be erected in time for 25 December, Christmas Day. Judge Ron Socol ruled that although there exists a "suspicion" of unacceptable discrimination, since the University approved the placement of a Channukah lamp in the Main Building, the inequality in this case does not justify the Court's intervention in the University's decision.

Special for Come and See, Dec 30, 2004

Christmas in Israel has been shadowed by the gloom of the prolonged Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the United Nations has reported that the future of Bethlehem is not optimistic, Christian leaders in the region have continued to encourage the people with words of hope and faith.

Christianity Today, Dec 29, 2004

An amazing article published in Haaretz by Shahar Ilan that describes the way Jewish Hasidim "celebrate" Christmas: Christmas Eve is one of the few occasions when Hasidim refrain from Torah study, do not conduct weddings or go to the mikveh. But they do play chess and work on their bills.

On Christmas Eve, known in Jewish circles as Nitel Night, the klipot (shells) are in total control. The klipot are parasitical evil forces that attach themselves to the forces of good. According to kabbala (Jewish mysticism), on the night on which "that man" - a Jewish euphemism for Jesus - was born, not even a trace of holiness is present and the klipot exploit every act of holiness for their own purposes.

Shahar Ilan, Haaretz, Dec 24, 2004

Irineos I, the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church in Israel, has withdrawn and nullified a lawsuit he filed against the Maariv newspaper to the tune of four million shekels.

Irineos filed the suit several months ago because the newspaper had accused him of expressing anti-Semitic sentiments. Earlier this month, however, Irineos withdrew his suit, and even agreed to pay 10,000 shekels ? plus Value Added Tax ? to Maariv to cover its legal expenses. Sources say that a sense of humiliation pervades the Church.

From Arutz 7, Dec 24, 2004