My recent trip to Bethlehem shattered my illusions. The most iconic place in all of Christendom is the most unholy and violent I have ever visited.

A Palestinian guest house packed with artwork of British graffiti artist Banksy has been unveiled in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, with a sneak peek of what the owner called the "hotel with the worst view in the world".

Thousands of pilgrims and tourists from around the world together with locals began Christmas Eve celebrations in Jesus' traditional birthplace of Bethlehem on Saturday, lifting spirits after a tense year between Palestinians and Israelis.

Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, is synonymous with Christmas, but it is menaced by the concrete divide that encroaches on Palestine territory, says Eoin O’Driscoll.