The office of the speaker of the Knesset sad he has rejected a Christian lawmaker's request to publicly display a Christmas tree in the building.
Eran Sidis, a spokesman for Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud ),said Monday that the speaker rejected the request, but said the parliamentarian could display a Christmas tree in his office and his party's conference room.
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Sidis denied the rejection was connected to Israel 'sJewish character. He said displaying the tree until Orthodox Christmas January 7 would be too long.
Hanna Swaid, an Arab-Christian member of Knesset from Hadash - Israel's communist party - Arab minority, said a Christmas tree would promote multiculturalism and freedom of religion.
There have been previous bans on public Christmas tree displays. The mayor of a Jewish town bordering Nazareth has previously refused them, though some Christians live there.

