ReutersThe bustling West Bank town of Bethlehem has good reason to consider itself the capital of Christmas but this year it doesn’t feel like it.
There are very few visitors at peak times. There are no usual cheerful street decorations or a giant Christmas tree in front of the Church of the Nativity, which is built over the place where Jesus is believed to have been born.
Community Christmas celebrations were canceled for the second year due to the war in Gaza. Palestinian Christians only go to religious festivals and family gatherings.
“This should be a time of joy and celebration,” said Pastor Dr. Munther Isaac, a local Lutheran pastor. “But Bethlehem is a sad city in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Gaza.”
In his church, a Nativity scene shows the baby Jesus lying on a pile of rubble. Before Christmas, there is a prayer service focused on the dire situation in Gaza.
“It’s hard to believe that another Christmas has come to us and the carnage has not stopped,” said Isaac in his strong-worded sermon. “The decision-makers are content to let this go on. For them, the Palestinian people are working.”
Israel strongly denies the allegations of genocide in Gaza and the judges of the UN High Court have not issued a verdict in the case of genocide, which was opened by South Africa.
Many Bethlehem Christians I meet feel hopeless and question what they see as the failure of other Christian communities around the world to speak up.
Close ties between members of the small Palestinian Christian community mean that many locals have family and friends in Gaza.
“My mother told me that what we see on television does not cover even one percent of what is happening,” said the theologian, Dr. Yousef Khouri, who is from Gaza City.
His parents and sister are among several hundred Christians who have spent most of 14 months sheltering in two churches in Gaza.
“They are facing the same hunger as the rest of Gaza. Of course, they hardly sleep because of the bombings, because of all the drones flying over their heads and the lack of medical care and services,” he said.
“We have lost friends and relatives.”
In Gaza, more than 45,000 people have been killed in the war that began as a result of Hamas attacks in southern Israel. The figures come from the Hamas-run health ministry but are considered reliable by the UN and others. The attack on 7 October 2023 killed around 1,200 people – Israelis and other foreigners – and led to around 250 being taken hostage.
Tensions have risen in the West Bank in connection with the war. Israel imposed new restrictions on the movement of Palestinians and revoked tens of thousands of permits for workers who crossed into Jerusalem or Jewish settlements each day.
The economy is in dire straits, especially in Bethlehem, which relies heavily on tourism, which has almost disappeared. The guides stood idly by the Church of the Nativity, feeding the pigeons.
“If anything [are] tourists, all people will work: hotels, transportation, accommodation, everything,” said another director, Abdullah. [if] There [are] there are no visitors, there is no life in the city of Bethlehem.”
“I have no money! No business! We have been living at home for more than one year,” exclaimed Adnan Subah, a souvenir seller on Star Street.
“My son is a tour guide at the church, we live at home, all my children live. No jobs, no business, no visitors.”
Many local Christian and Muslim families have migrated over the past year. With the constant threat of violence and the expansion of settlements in countries where the Palestinian people have long sought an independent state of their own, there is great fear and uncertainty about the future.
But a community group in Bethlehem is trying to make a difference: packing food parcels for those in need. There is no government assistance here, and volunteers have been collecting donations – including those from abroad.
“As you know Christmas is the spirit of giving and love and joy. And we hope with this parcel we can give hope and joy to families in our area,” said Wael Shaer, head of the Palestine Lions Club.
I follow Wael delivering the first to a woman who lives in a nearby apartment. Her husband is sick and out of work. He gratefully opened the box of goods that was given to him and took the envelope of money.
He and Wael greeted each other with the usual holiday greetings and wished each other a peaceful year ahead.
“Mission accomplished!” Wael tells me as we walk.
“Spreading a little cheer on Christmas.”
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