HALLIE JACKSON HAS THE STORY. >> THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY STILL RINGS BUT THE COURTYARD HERE IS EMPTY. IT'S THE OLDEST CONTINUALLY USED PLACE OF WORSHIP. THE PROGRAMS WHO USUALLY FLOCKED TO THE CITY ARE NOW NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. >> THE WORST CHRISTMAS EVER. NO CHRISTMAS TREES, NO CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD USED TO COME HERE. IT'S NOW A GHOST TOWN. >> THIS IS MY GREAT- GRANDFATHER. >> THEY SIT HERE AND BETHLEHEM, THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS THE BUSY SEASON. >> WE'VE BEEN BOOKED AND ARE NOW 120% CAPACITY. THERE IS NO ROOM. >> THE ESTIMATE HUNDRED AND 20,000 PEOPLE VISITED DURING CHRISTMAS LAST YEAR. >> THEY HOPED THAT THEY COULD SEE MORE PEOPLE THIS YEAR. >> NOW ALL WE GET IS CANCELLATIONS SO IT IS A CATASTROPHE. >> THEY SAY THAT NEARLY 70 HOTELS ARE CLOSE, LEAVING 6000 OUT OF A JOB THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. >> THIS IS WHAT REPRESENTS BETHLEHEM. >> RICHARD CHAVEZ SAYS HIS FAMILY HAS RUN THE SHOP SINCE 1942. HE SAID THESE CUSTOMERS ARE NOW GONE. >> IT WAS JUST THE DAY BEFORE. >> WHAT ABOUT YOUR STAFF? THE PEOPLE WHO CARVE THESE OBJECTS, THE PEOPLE WHO SELL THEM. >> BETHLEHEM RELIES ON TOURISM. WE HAVE ABOUT 30 EMPLOYEES, WE HAVE THESE MERCHANTS, PEOPLE WHO DO BEAUTIFUL CARVINGS IN BETHLEHEM. >> SOME RESTAURANTS HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THEIR OPERATIONS. CATERING TO LOCAL FAMILIES AND SAID TORRES BUT IN A CITY WHERE PEOPLE FROM MANY DENOMINATIONS HAVE PRAYED SIDE BY SIDE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS? >> IT'S FOR PEACE, YOU KNOW? IT'S WHERE PEACE WOULD BORN -- WAS BORN, SO IT SHOULD BE THE MESSENGER ALL OVER THE WORLD. >> PRAYING FOR AN AND TO THE WAR AND THEN SILENT NIGHT. >>> NOW, FROM ISRAEL. THERE BEEN SOME KEY SECURITY CONCERNS IN ISRAEL AND ACROSS THE WORLD. WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF BEING THERE? OUR PEOPLE TO FIND -- ABLE TO FIND ANY SENSE OF HAPPINESS OR IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE RIGHT NOW? >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I WAS SAYING THAT IT'S FORTUNATE THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND A MIRACLE AM TALKING ABOUT THOSE HOSTAGE FAMILY MEMBERS WHOSE LOVED ONES HAVE BEEN RETURNED AND I'M THINKING ABOUT ONE MAN WAS WITH WHOSE WIFE AND KID HAD BEEN TAKEN CAPTIVE AND WERE RELEASED AND HE TOLD ME HE FEELS LIKE IT IS A MIRACLE, WATCHING THEM BRUSH THEIR TEETH AND LIVE THEIR LIFE. MANY, AND CERTAINLY IN GAZA, IT'S HARD TO FIND A MOMENT TO BE HOPEFUL, IT'S HARD TO FIND A WAY TO CLING TO THAT BUT I WILL SAY THAT HOPE IS ALL THEY HAVE AND IF THE