Fayyad joins in with Ramallah celebrations Ramallah – Emtyaz Al Mograbi The celebratory lighting up of the Christmas tree in Yasser Arafat Square in Ramallah, took place on Wednesday evening. Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad told the assembled crowd: \"We celebrate Christmas today as our people celebrated the new status of Palestine in the United Nations a few days ago.\"
\"Celebrations take place in Yasser Arafat square in Ramallah today. Tomorrow, God willing, we will be celebrating in Jerusalem,\" Fayyad added.
The festive ceremony was attended by the Governor of Ramallah al-Bireh Laila Ghannam and the Mayor of Ramallah Moussa Abu Hadid alongside a number of ministers, officials and clerics.
Fayyad stressed the need for the international community to take its political, legal and moral responsibilities seriously, to force Israel to halt all violations on the land, religious and civil rights of the Palestinians.
\"Israel should stop depriving believers of our people, Christians and Muslims alike, from exercising their religious rituals and reaching their churches and mosques,\" Fayyad claimed.