ISRAELI TROOPS LEAVE BETHLEHEM

With fireworks bursting in the night sky, Israeli troops pulled out of Bethlehem today, turning over the city some believe was the birthplace of Jesus to Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority. Church bells rang throughout the city as Palestinians watched eleven Israeli jeeps rumble out of Manger Square, ending 28 years of occupation. Bethlehem is the sixth West Bank town to be handed over to the Palestinians as part of the Israel-PLO autonomy agreement. Arafat was not on hand for the troop withdrawal, but is scheduled to visit Bethlehem for the first time on Christmas Eve. The PLO chairman plans to give a speech from the roof of the Church of the Nativity, which is said to be the spot where Jesus was born.