Nazareth was the site of sectarian violence June 10 when Muslim demonstrators clashed with the city’s Christian mayor and his driver. The incident reflects a political conflict as Israel attempts to make Nazareth a millennium attraction for Christian pilgrims. Municipal elections in November retained the Christian mayor but gave the Islamic Movement a majority on the city council, and thus far the two sides have not worked well together. The Christian community wants to build a plaza for pilgrims on a lot next to the Church of the Annunciation, where tradition says an angel foretold the birth of Jesus, while Muslims want to build a mosque on the site.
