[AppyPappy]

Then they are hostages as far as we know. They allowed armed gunman to take over the "holy" site. For all we know, the armed gunman are destroying it now. Do you think Muslims care a whit about it?

[waspguy]

"Do you think Muslims care a whit about it?"

Two points:

1. Not all Palestinians are Muslim. Many are Christian, and have probably worship in the Church of the Nativity. (I don't know about the gunmen obviously.)

2. Many Muslims have a strong devotion to Mary and to the events of the Nativity. The site, without the presence of the church that is already there, would probably have become a Mosque - and as a result of their reverence for Mary and the Birth of Christ, not out of a desire to drive out the Christians, though such action would have such an affect.

[history_matters]

When I lived in Bethlehem, Muslims very often came to pray at the Church because they venerate Jesus as a prophet and they venerate his birthplace.

[Romulus]

Then they are hostages as far as we know.

We are the hostages, and the Holy Places themselves. Israel knows this and proceeds accordingly.