Ease passage for Christmas <i>Israel tells troops</i>

Israel has ordered its soldiers to ease the passage of Christian tourists and pilgrims through military checkpoints during the Christmas period.
Israelis serving across the Palestinian territories are being handed manuals explaining the importance of Christmas to local and foreign Christians and urging them to avoid unnecessary confrontations at military checkpoints.
The city of Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, sits behind an Israeli checkpoint through which all visitors, including foreign tourists and Palestinians, must pass.
"During the Christmas period, the eyes of the Christian world look to the city of Bethlehem, in which religious ceremonies are being held," says a copy of the manual seen by AFP.