Editing Church of the Nativity (section)

====World Heritage Site====
In 2012, the church complex became the first Palestinian site to be listed as a [[World Heritage Site]] by the [[World Heritage Committee]] at its 36th session on 29 June.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://globalheritagefund.org/onthewire/blog/church_of_the_nativity |title=Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity Could Be Israel's First World Heritage Site |publisher=Global Heritage Fund |date=15 June 2012 |access-date=29 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706000541/http://globalheritagefund.org/onthewire/blog/church_of_the_nativity |archive-date=6 July 2012 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> It was approved by a secret vote<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/unesco-urgently-lists-church-of-nativity-as-world-heritage/1018266.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126041409/http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/unesco-urgently-lists-church-of-nativity-as-world-heritage/1018266.html |archive-date=26 January 2013 |title=UNESCO urgently lists Church of Nativity as world heritage |publisher=IBN Live News |date=29 June 2012 |access-date=29 June 2012}}</ref> of 13–6 in the 21-member committee, according to UNESCO spokeswoman Sue Williams,<ref name=ynet>{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4249093,00.html |title=UNESCO makes Church of Nativity as endangered site |newspaper=Ynetnews |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date=29 June 2012 |access-date=29 June 2012 |archive-date=1 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701203040/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4249093,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and following an emergency candidacy procedure that by-passed the 18-month process for most sites, despite the opposition of the United States and Israel. The site was approved under criteria four and six.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1433 |title=Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem |publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |access-date=26 March 2013 |archive-date=1 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701115532/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1433 |url-status=live }}</ref> The decision was a controversial one on both technical and political terms.<ref name=ynet/><ref name=al>{{cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/06/2012629182452482880.html |title=UN grants Nativity Church 'endangered' status |department=Middle East |publisher=Al Jazeera English |access-date=26 March 2013 |archive-date=6 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906184743/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/06/2012629182452482880.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It was placed on the [[List of World Heritage in Danger]] from 2012 to 2019, as it was suffering from damages due to water leaks.<ref name=unesco/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1995 |title=The site of the Birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem (Palestine) removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=7 July 2019 |archive-date=2 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702152115/https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1995 |url-status=live }}</ref>