Midnight Mass ceremony, which marks the beginning of Christmas Day, celebrated at Beit Jamal monastery on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2009, the celebrated birthday of Jesus.photo by Abir Sultan/Flash 90

Midnight Mass ceremony, which marks the beginning of Christmas Day, celebrated at Beit Jamal monastery on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2009, the celebrated birthday of Jesus.photo by Abir Sultan/Flash 90

Midnight Mass ceremony, which marks the beginning of Christmas Day, celebrated at Beit Jamal monastery on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2009, the celebrated birthday of Jesus.photo by Abir Sultan/Flash 90

GIVAT HAIM, ISRAEL - DEC 25, 2009 : Relatives and friends carry the coffin of Yitzhak (Ike) Aharonovitch, the captain of the famed refugee ship Exodus, covered with the original flag of the the ship Exodus. Aharonovitch died Wednesday at the age of 86. The Exodus left France in 1947 carrying 4,554 passengers – most of whom were Holocaust survivors – heading to then-British controlled Palestine.The British Navy seized the ship, and deported all its passengers back to Europe.Photo by Gili Yaari / Flash 90 Aharonovitch's funeral will be held Friday at the cemetery on Kibbutz Givat Chaim.

GIVAT HAIM, ISRAEL - DEC 25, 2009 : Shmuel Biber (ex Palyam member) attends the funeral of Yitzhak (Ike) Aharonovitch, the captain of the famed refugee ship Exodus. Aharonovitch died Wednesday at the age of 86. The Exodus left France in 1947 carrying 4,554 passengers – most of whom were Holocaust survivors – heading to then-British controlled Palestine.The British Navy seized the ship, and deported all its passengers back to Europe.Photo by Gili Yaari / Flash 90 Aharonovitch's funeral will be held Friday at the cemetery on Kibbutz Givat Chaim.

GIVAT HAIM, ISRAEL - DEC 25, 2009 : Women are holding the original flag of the refugee ship Exodus, signed by the ship staff, during the funeral of Yitzhak (Ike) Aharonovitch, the captain of the famed refugee ship Exodus. Aharonovitch died Wednesday at the age of 86. The Exodus left France in 1947 carrying 4,554 passengers – most of whom were Holocaust survivors – heading to then-British controlled Palestine.The British Navy seized the ship, and deported all its passengers back to Europe.Photo by Gili Yaari / Flash 90 Aharonovitch's funeral will be held Friday at the cemetery on Kibbutz Givat Chaim.

GIVAT HAIM, ISRAEL - DEC 25, 2009 : Haim Guri, Israeli poet and publicist, speaks at the funeral of Yitzhak (Ike) Aharonovitch, the captain of the famed refugee ship Exodus. Aharonovitch died Wednesday at the age of 86. The Exodus left France in 1947 carrying 4,554 passengers – most of whom were Holocaust survivors – heading to then-British controlled Palestine.The British Navy seized the ship, and deported all its passengers back to Europe.Photo by Gili Yaari / Flash 90 Aharonovitch's funeral will be held Friday at the cemetery on Kibbutz Givat Chaim.

GIVAT HAIM, ISRAEL - DEC 25, 2009 : Relatives and friends attend the funeral of Yitzhak (Ike) Aharonovitch, the captain of the famed refugee ship Exodus. Aharonovitch died Wednesday at the age of 86. The Exodus left France in 1947 carrying 4,554 passengers – most of whom were Holocaust survivors – heading to then-British controlled Palestine.The British Navy seized the ship, and deported all its passengers back to Europe.Photo by Gili Yaari / Flash 90 Aharonovitch's funeral will be held Friday at the cemetery on Kibbutz Givat Chaim.

GIVAT HAIM, ISRAEL - DEC 25, 2009 : A woman carrying a flower bouquet of the Palamch (the regular fighting force of the Haganah, the unofficial army of the Yishuv (Jewish community) during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine) attends the funeral of Yitzhak (Ike) Aharonovitch, the captain of the famed refugee ship Exodus. Aharonovitch died Wednesday at the age of 86. The Exodus left France in 1947 carrying 4,554 passengers – most of whom were Holocaust survivors – heading to then-British controlled Palestine.The British Navy seized the ship, and deported all its passengers back to Europe.Photo by Gili Yaari / Flash 90 Aharonovitch's funeral will be held Friday at the cemetery on Kibbutz Givat Chaim.

GIVAT HAIM, ISRAEL - DEC 25, 2009 : A flower bouquet of the Palamch (the regular fighting force of the Haganah, the unofficial army of the Yishuv (Jewish community) during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine) is layed over the fresh grave of Yitzhak (Ike) Aharonovitch, the captain of the famed refugee ship Exodus. Aharonovitch died Wednesday at the age of 86. The Exodus left France in 1947 carrying 4,554 passengers – most of whom were Holocaust survivors – heading to then-British controlled Palestine.The British Navy seized the ship, and deported all its passengers back to Europe.Photo by Gili Yaari / Flash 90 Aharonovitch's funeral will be held Friday at the cemetery on Kibbutz Givat Chaim.

GIVAT HAIM, ISRAEL - DEC 25, 2009 : Moti Dagan (L) and Itzhak Hochberg (R) who were passengers of the refugee ship Exodus, wearing their boarding certificate to the sgip, are attending the funeral of Yitzhak (Ike) Aharonovitch, the captain of the famed refugee ship Exodus. Aharonovitch died Wednesday at the age of 86. The Exodus left France in 1947 carrying 4,554 passengers – most of whom were Holocaust survivors – heading to then-British controlled Palestine.The British Navy seized the ship, and deported all its passengers back to Europe.Photo by Gili Yaari / Flash 90 Aharonovitch's funeral will be held Friday at the cemetery on Kibbutz Givat Chaim.

Palestinian dressed as Santa Claus take cover from tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers during a protest against Israel's controversial separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin near Ramallah on December 25, 2009. Photo by Issam Rimawi / FLASH90

Palestinian dressed as Santa Claus take cover from tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers during a protest against Israel's controversial separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin near Ramallah on December 25, 2009. Photo by Issam Rimawi / FLASH90

Palestinian demonstrator takes cover from tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers during a protest against Israel's controversial separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin near Ramallah on December25, 2009. Photo by Issam Rimawi / FLASH90

Palestinian demonstrators dressed as Santa Claus, decorates a Christmas Tree with used Israeli army teargas canisters and sound bombs during a protest by Palestinians and foreign peace activists against Israel's controversial separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin near Ramallah on December 25, 2009. Photo by Issam Rimawi / FLASH90

Israeli people take part in a funeral on Friday, Dec 25, 2009, in Jerusalem. Hundreds of people took part Friday in the funeral of Meir Avshalom Hai, 45, who was murdered Thursday evening in a terror attack near the West Bank settlement of Shavei Shomron. Photo by Kobi Gideon / FLASH90.