There have been dispiutes over land in this part of the world for hundreds of years and we do not intend to solve them here, but out of honesty, we are pointing out that some key sites, such as Bethlehem and Jericho are under the control of the Palestinian Authority. This does not stop visits, most of the time, and we would be happy to advise you on how to include these options.
Bethlehem is a must for visitors. Here the Lord Jesus was born. Our approach is not to say the star on the floor is the exact spot as no one can be that certain, so we encourage you to think about the fact that the Lord Jesus was indeed born there in what was effectively a small village. The fact that the Lord was born, dedtined to die for us, is of more importance than the exact spot. That said, stading in the Shepherds' Fields and looking at the hills around, it is not difficult to imagine the worship of the heavenly hosts and singing Christmas carols there will ensure your Christmases at home will never be the same again.