nbc's martin fletcher is there. >> reporter: midnight mass in the birthplace of christ. bethlehem traditional christmas message of peace for all mankind heard live around the world. 50,000 pilgrims expected in manger square. >> it's a great place to spend christmas. it's where christmas began. we feel blessed to be here. >> reporter: the christians aren't alone. the muslims call to prayer can't be ignored. there are far more mosques in bethlehem than churches. three out of four people who live here are muslims. these girls show off their traditional dress. >> merry christmas! >> reporter: this is a day of great celebration here, of course, by there's one thing the people of bethlehem can never forget -- they're surrounded by a wall. the wall which israel said it built to stop terrorists looms over much of the town. even the catholic leader in the holy land come to preside over christmas in bethlehem must pass through it. and while the 50-foot christmas tree symbolizes peace, ba oshar builds a different kind of tree. >> it's christmastime, time to raise our voice. >> repo

but if my story can help, so be it. [ applause ] >> reporter: martin fletcher, nbc news, jerusalem. >> across the pond tonight in britain, the queen's husband, prince phillip is spending his fourth night in the hospital after a heart scare, on the mend following treatment for a blocked coronary artery. the festivities went on without him this weekend including kate's royal christmas debut. the queen and six of her grandchildren including princes william and harry paid a visit to the hospital. the 90-year-old duke of edinburgh missed the annual boxing day shooting party which he usually leads. >>> when "nightly news" continues on this monday evening, the little white lie one woman told out of love and desperation to help her fiance and what she did may be a game-changer for a popular prescription drug. >>> later, making a difference for military brides. off the battlefield and into the boutique. >>> back now with a remarkable health story making headlines. it's about a young man in australia, brain damaged and thought to be unable to understand anything going on around him. but his fia

martin fletcher, nbc news, bethlehem. >>> up next, as "nightly news" continues on this christmas eve, an amazing story that some call a christmas miracle. it is about a young man just hours away from being taken off life support, but instead is spending the holidays with his family. >>> and later, many happy returns, a lot of kids getting exactly what they have been wishing for. >>> we're back now with an amazing story of survival. a 21-year-old college student in arizona fell into a coma after an accident that killed two of his friends. when all hope appeared to be lost, his family prepared themselves to let him go. until one night something extraordinary happened. we get his story tonight from nbc's kerry sanders. >> reporter: a scene some are calling a christmas miracle, sam scmid walking on his own two feet and talking. >> i feel better. i've been called a miracle a few times. >> reporter: sam, a college student, had suffered a traumatic brain aneurysm after a car crash in october, which left him in a deep coma. his mom rushed him to the emergency room. >> i said, sam, stay strong

but if my story can help, so be it. [ applause ] >> reporter: martin fletcher, nbc news, jerusalem. >> across the pond tonight in britain, the queen's husband, prince phillip is spending his fourth night in the hospital after a heart scare, on the mend following treatment for a blocked coronary artery. the festivities went on without him this weekend including kate's royal christmas debut. the queen and six of her grandchildren including princes william and harry paid a visit to the hospital. the 90-year-old duke of edinburgh missed the annual boxing day shooting party which he usually leads. >>> when "nightly news" continues on this monday evening, the little white lie one woman told out of love and desperation to help her fiance and what she did may be a game-changer for a popular prescription drug. >>> later, making a difference for military brides. off the battlefield and into the boutique. an omega for my heart. but to be honest, i find the omega choices overwhelming. which one is right for me? then i found new pronutrients omega-3. it's from centrum. a name i trust. it goes beyo

but if my story can help, so be it. [ applause ] >> reporter: martin fletcher, nbc news, jerusalem. >> across the pond tonight in britain, the queen's husband, prince phillip is spending his fourth night in the hospital after a heart scare, on the mend following treatment for a blocked coronary artery. the festivities went on without him this weekend including kate's royal christmas debut. the queen and six of her grandchildren including princes william and harry paid a visit to the hospital. the 90-year-old duke of edinburgh missed the annual boxing day shooting party which he usually leads. >>> when "nightly news" continues on this monday evening, the little white lie one woman told out of love and desperation to help her fiance and what she did may be a game-changer for a popular prescription drug. >>> later, making a difference for military brides. off the battlefield and into the boutique. tlefield and into the boutique. an omega for my heart. but to be honest, i find the omega choices overwhelming. which one is right for me? then i found new pronutrients omega-3. it's from centr

martin fletcher, bethlehem. >>> we take you now to india. a group of women gathered with candles as part of east and tourists flocked to a national park in the north where christmas lights brightened streets. christians make up about 2% of the population in bangladesh, hundreds of people attended mass in the country's capital. most are roman catholic. portuguese and mission nars brought to bank will desh in the late 18th and 17th centuries. christians also celebrated mass at st. joseph church in baghdad, one week after the withdrawal of all u.s. combat forces from iraq. the christian population in baghdad has been dwindling. before 2003, the number is about 450 to 600,000. in october of last year, gunman linked to al qaeda, seized the our lady of baghdad and there were hostages and hundreds injured during the attack. >>> people packed one southern california mall looking for deals and bargains. many waited until saturday to wrap up their holiday shopping. businesses usually shut down during christmas, but there are some shops opened during t

who better to bring in, martin fletcher, special correspondent for nbc news. more importantly, the author of a new novel about post-world war ii england called "the list." good stocking stuffer, also under the menorah. he joins us from tel aviv.tel-a. one of the misconceptions for folks that are only following mideast politics through the presidential race, they're going to pick the picture that president obama is unpopular in israel. that's not the case is, it right? >> well, it's changing, chuck. you know, when obama was first elected, his approval rating here in israel was in single figures, less than 10%. now the latest polls show that around 53% of israelis believe obama's doing a good job. there's been quite a dramatic change obviously in that period. yeah, this sense -- first of all, the statement we just heard from president obama, that really sounded heartfelt, didn't it? >> it did. >> there's clearly a serious sense among his people you need to impress upon jews, israelis and jewish voters in america that obama is with israel. here in israel, the sen

>> the martin fletcher touch. it was very difficult. on the one hand, i wanted to make this as accurate as possible because it reflect aes very important time in the period of many people. but i also wanted to tell a story to make it so interesting. and i did so much research, i found out other things about which i had no idea. there was a petition in london in 1945, five months after the end of world war ii to throw the injuryish of of new england. i didn't know that. so i put it altogether. what i wanted to where he was an emotional roller coaster. >> so with so many books already written about this topic, about the holocaust, is that what you wanted readers to take away? >> the book is about what happened immediately after the holocaust. and there's very little written about this particular subject. i couldn't find hardly anything about the question of the transition, coming to terms with having lost your family and having a baby and beginning your new life. >> this list is a fascinating story. we thank you so much. martin fletcher,

. >> martin fletcher, the veteran nbc correspondent in the middle east. john rowe, nbc correspondent in tel aviv. thank you very much both for your expertise. coming up next, how will mitt romney handle newt gingrich? is he about to change the game plan? and president obama live in kansas trying to sell the payroll tax. that's all next on "andrea mitchell reports" live from tel aviv. [ male announcer ] xbox 360 with kinect, this season's hottest games and...sweatbands. [ grunting noises ] ahh! this is gold. [ mom ] woo! [ game ] snaps up the ace. i'll never be popular. [ game ] next game decides our winner. [ male announcer ] get low prices on this season's hottest games. like kinect sports season 2 for xbox 360 with kinect. rated e for everyone. backed by our christmas price guarantee. save money. live better. walmart. the new spark card from capital one. spark miles gives me the most rewards of any small business credit card. the spark card earns double miles... so we really had to up our game. with spark, the boss earns double miles on every purchase,

nbc's martin fletcher is in b bethlehem with the latest. >> this is christmas eve in bethlehem. the atext is attention here is on the people and although there are many pilgrims here, they are not spending much money in the shops, of course. it's a time of economic boom for bethlehem. one of the problems, of course, is the war that surrounds them despite the celebrations, something that people cannot forget. israel's security wall around the city makes it impossible for people to come through here without a path that makes it very difficult for the merchants to make money and for the people outside to join the people from inside in their celebrations of christmas. nevertheless, the minister of tourism here calling it the christmas of hope. alex? >> a shopping frenzy over a pair of basketball shoes leads to arrests. >> jumped over him and kept running. >> yikes, people were trampled in stores and police had to use pepper spray to subdue the chaotic crowd. >>> let's turn to your holiday weather and for that we'll turn to meteorologist bill karins. >> we only have a few spots that

brace four point drop so they too will win ten to sunderland who were watched by the incoming manager martin o'neill karen which is not opened up to fifteen minutes for the visitors but sebastian lawson missed a penalty that would have made it to no one factor to quit equalised go on to find the winner. and in the meantime a chelsea striker and malka is the latest start to be linked with a big spending russian side and she the blues have accepted transfer request from the thirty two year old frenchman as well as from defender alex is twenty nine the pair are expected to be sold in the january transfer window with knockouts cannot clubs considered to be an option for anelka billionaire owner suliman karimov has already signed samuel eto roberto carlos as well as chelsea minute of your cough well meanwhile blues boss and says there is no will feeling about the requests to leave. zation was was was fair and and very very frontal and direct with the way the players i mean the players have shown their interest in leading the club or put on a transfer request for quite some time. dr professionals

up stairs to everton one mail to great reference victory goodison park for thirty years and steven fletcher schooled a late second half brace which moved four point drop so they too will win ten to sunderland who will watch button coming manager martin o'neill karen richardson and on the fifty two minutes for the visitors but sebastian lawson missed a penalty that would have made it to no longer factor to quickly equalize go on to find the winner. and in the meantime a chelsea striker and malka is the latest start to be linked with a big spending russian side and she the blues have accepted transfer request from the thirty two year old frenchman as well as from defender alex is twenty nine the pair are expected to be sold in the january transfer window with clubs considered to be an option for anelka and hughes billionaire owners who live in karimov has already signed samuel eto roberto carlos as well as chelsea minute as your call of well meanwhile blues boss andre force says there was no ill feeling about the requests to leave. position was was was fair and and very very frontal and direc

able to go straight three goodison park for thirty years and steven fletcher scored a late second half brace as wolves moved four points clear of the drop with a two one win at home to sunderland who will watch by incoming manager martin o'neill and richardson opened after fifty two minutes with the sebastian larsson missed a penalty that would have made it seem able to quickly equalize and then go on to find the winner. then turn it. down to be one martin del potro in a thrilling four set match to seal spain's fifth davis cup title in eleven years and into the limbic arena. would help move the cup triumph in four years but that seemed to inspire his opponent in the beginning. racing through the first set six one. define his rhythm after that winning the second set six four to tie the match his forehand just too much to handle. and. in the third. another game and he went on to win six one. the full set go to tie break through that without dropping a point it is spain's fifth cup trophy and the dow has played its part in not winning twenty fed cup singles matches in a row. and winter sp

to tennis rafael nadal four but set down to be martin del potro when burning full. set match to seal spain's fifth davis cup title in eleven years and it out walked out into the limping arena knowing what he had to do but that actually seemed to inspire his opponent at the beginning del potro racing through the first set six one as he tried to bring his country level in this davis cup final but now surely after this rhythm you've won the second set six four to tie the match. his stumping for and doing a lot of damage. and in the third set. so the only. way to win six one. i went by. dropping a point it is spain's fifth fed cup trophy and the dollar has played its part in not winning twenty fed cup singles matches in a row i russia volleyball coach friday may elect nor says he is the happiest man on earth after his charges beat poland in japan to lift the prestigious world cup on his forty fifth birthday it was a black and fought back and forth rather in tokyo go all the way to the fifth set with russia eventually prevailing to claim their second piece of silverware