After 18 years of tough negotiations, the Catholic Church agreed to waive its demand to receive sovereignty over the Cenacle (the location of the "Last Supper") on Jerusalem's Mount Zion. In return, Israel agreed to consider giving the Church access to the place and even consider a leasing option. It was also agreed that the Vatican would start paying a reduced property tax for its assets in Israel. Over the years, Israel suffered losses of tens of millions of shekels due to the Vatican's failure to pay property tax.

Tens of thousands of tourists and Christian pilgrims packed the West Bank town of Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations on Saturday, bringing warm holiday cheer to the traditional birthplace of Jesus on a raw, breezy and rainy night. With turnout at its highest in more than a decade, proud Palestinian officials said they were praying the celebrations would bring them closer to their dream of independence.

Recent archeological excavations in Jerusalem show that, contrary to popular understanding, King Herod was not solely responsible for constructing the Western Wall. Israel's Antiques Authority announced Wednesday that the discovery of a mikveh, Jewish ritual bath, alongside Jerusalem's ancient drainage channel challenges the conventional archaeological perception that Herod built the wall in its entirety, saying it is now evident that construction was completed at least 20 years after Herod's death (believed to be in 4 BCE). The excavations, directed by IAA archaeologist Eli Shukron with ass

Ancient Muslim religious texts will be displayed at the National Library in Jerusalem including two Korans that date back to the ninth century. Most of the manuscripts that will go on display are from the collection of Jewish scholar Abraham Shalom Yehuda, a prominent Islamic researcher who bequeathed his collection to the library. The collection includes some 1,184 manuscripts including some 100 Korans. The rare manuscripts will be displayed as part of a series of seminars at the library. Each day of the program will also feature the participation of researchers or Muslim clerics.

Thousands of Evangelical Christians have arrived in Israel from all over the world for the 32 annual Feast of Tabernacles Succot celebrations. The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has brought over more than 6,000 Christian pilgrims from over 80 countries and five continents – including Brazil, China, Finland, Gabon and the US, and will be in the country for six days of festivities and touring activities. In addition to the ICEJ pilgrimage, a separate mission of 3,000 Christians were brought to Israel from a dozen countries by the Manmin Central Church of South Korea. The

In a daring clandestine operation some of the world’s most ancient Bible manuscripts were rescued from Damascus in Syria. Details revealed by the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday said some 11 volumes dating back 1,000 years were brought to Israel.

For those seeking to participate in the tashlich ritual and cast bread crumbs representing sins into the waters, there are a number of sites they can perform the task in the days leading up to Succot. In Jerusalem’s City of David the Shiloah Springs were the main water source for the mikvehs used by pilgrims on their way to make offerings at the Temple. Another alternative is a visit to Jaffa’s ancient port, where after walking one can sit at the water’s edge and perform the tashlich. In the Gush Etzion village of Bat Ayin one can reach the local spring by car or o

An Israeli yeshiva student who drowned in Uman on Rosh Hashana was identified as Eli Eliah, 19 from Netanya, authorities in Ukraine announced. Eliah drowned on Thursday while participating in a tashlich ceremony in the river that runs through the town where Rabbi Nachman of Breslav is buried, Eliah was in the water with his brother when he drowned and all efforts to resuscitate him failed, reports said. The body will be flown back to Israel. Over the holiday some 32,000 worshippers arrived in the town to spend the holiday near the gravesite of the famous sage.

Ahead of the High Holidays, the Western Wall underwent close examination to determine the safety of the stones and crumbled parts were removed. Notes placed between the cracks in the stones were removed to make place for new ones.

Jewish culture and heritage will become part of the compulsory curriculum in the coming school year with 900 teachers to undergo training.

Thousands of Israelis will fast on Monday night as they observe Tisha Be’av commemorating the destruction of the two Temples. Considered to be one of the saddest days on the Jewish calendar, worshippers will spend part of Monday night and Tuesday in solemn prayer as the Lamentations is recited. Places of entertainment such as cinemas and cafes and restaurants will be shut down until Tuesday after sundown whenthe fast is over. On the ninth of Av, the First Temple, built by King Solomon was destroyed by the Babylonians who sacked Jerusalem in 586 BCE. The Second Temple, which was b

On the eve of Tisha'a Ba'av, the Jewish fast marking the destruction of the First and Second Temples, Infolive.tv went to the holiest of Jewish sites, the Western Wall, to see what the day signifies to Jews from around the world.

Millions of Muslims worldwide ushered in the month long Ramadan requiring them to fast from sun up to sun down. In a Ramadan message to Israeli Arabs and the Muslim world, Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu uploaded a video on his Facebook page and wished them peace and democracy. If Arab democracy will take root there will be true peace, Netanyahu said. He said he would like to use the opportunity to call on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to sit down and negotiate without any pre-conditions. “Our two peoples are waiting and yearning for this moment.

Tens of thousands attended the funeral of Rabbi Elazar Abuchatzeira on Friday hours after he was stabbed to death at a yeshiva in B eersheba shortly after midnight. The funeral procession set out from the Porat Yosef yeshiva in Jerusalem's Meir Shearim neighborhood where Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef delivered a eulogy. From there the procession continued to the Mount of Olives cemetery where he was buried. The funeral was attended by Israel's Chief Rabbis Yona Metzger and Shlomo Amar as well as Knesset members and government ministers. Abuchatzeira is the grandson of Ra

Representatives from Israel's Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities met to discuss environmental awareness and convey their message to their congregants. The meeting organized by the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development was held at the American Colony Hotel in east Jerusalem. People are purely temporary tenants of this world Rabbi David Rosen said adding the natural decay of the physical world should be a continuous reminder of that. Auxilliary Bishop Latin Patriarch William Shomali who presides over Jerusalem and the Palestinian areas said he believes when a rabbi, priest or mu