(Guardian-UK) Jill Hamilton - Christian pilgrims are now so numerous in the Old City of Jerusalem that this ancient metropolis seems to becoming for Christians what Mecca is to Muslims. They are arriving in record numbers. "October saw the greatest number of Christian tourists here for 30 years," said a hotel manager at Jaffa Gate. A similar tourist buoyancy is seen all over Israel. Visitors to the state have risen 30% with a total of 3.2 million predicted for 2010. Muslims now make up 25% of the residents in the historic Christian Quarter, while the shops and offices are 90% Muslim. A similar imbalance is seen in the Christian schools run by the churches where around two-thirds of the students are Muslim.
2010-11-12 08:35:54Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive