Arafat to defy order to bar him from Bethlehem

JERUSALEM -- Yasser Arafat vowed Sunday to defy an Israeli order barring him from Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem, declaring to make annual pilgrimage to Jesus' birthplace even if he has to walk to the stone plaza in Manger Square.

Arafat and the Israelis appeared headed for a showdown tonight that seemed to capture the convoluted nature of the conflict: the Jewish state banned Arafat, a Muslim, from attending a Christian religious service in a town under Arafat's control.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Cabinet voted 8-6 to slap the restriction on Arafat, saying he had failed to "stop terror attacks against Israel."