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<\/p>\nDuring the two years of war in Gaza, all public Christmas celebrations were canceled in Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank – the place where Christians believe Jesus was born.<\/p>\n
But after a recent ceasefire, the holy city has decided to bring back the festivities this year, symbolised by the lighting of the traditional, giant Christmas tree in front of the historic Church of the Nativity, the BBC reports today.<\/p>\n
“It was two bad years of silence; no Christmas, no work, no labor. We all live here from tourism, and tourism has dropped to zero,” said Bethlehem Mayor Maher Kanawati. <\/p>\n
The mayor acknowledges that the idea of \u200b\u200bresuming the celebrations has not been without controversy, as the suffering in Gaza continues \u2013 including that of its small Christian community, many of whose members have relatives in Bethlehem.<\/p>\n
“Some will say it’s inappropriate, others will say it is. But deep in my heart I felt it was the right move, because Christmas should never be stopped or canceled. It’s a beacon of hope for us,” Kanavati said. <\/p>\n
Locals \u2013 both Christians and Muslims \u2013 take photos in front of a Christmas tree decorated with red and gold baubles in Nativity Square. They are joined by a few foreign tourists.<\/p>\n
The streets are now decorated with colorful lights, and posters have been put up announcing Christmas bazaars and parties for children.<\/p>\n
“We are very happy to have a Christmas tree again, first of all, and to see foreigners in Bethlehem and to be able to celebrate Christmas in its true spirit. It all started here, so from here we can send a message to the world about what Christmas should really be. And this year, if Christmas is peaceful, I hope it will bring a beautiful message to the whole world,” says local jewelry designer Nadja Hazbun.<\/p>\n
The neighboring towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour also plan to light Christmas trees in the coming days. Hotels \u2013 which have been largely empty for the past two years \u2013 are now seeing a large influx of bookings from Palestinian citizens of Israel, as well as some foreign tourists.<\/p>\n
A tourist from Russia, Angelica, is on her second pilgrimage to the Holy Land.<\/p>\n
“I think everyone should come at least once in their life. I hope a lot of people will come back soon, because it’s sad when there are no tourists. The only good thing is that there are no long lines now – you can come and see more things. When I was there before, you had to wait in line for at least a few hours,” she told the BBC.<\/p>\n
For now, the souvenir shops scattered around Bethlehem are sparsely populated, and tour guides stand mostly idle outside the walls of the Church of the Nativity, which dates back to the fourth century. Before the war in Gaza, this place was often very crowded.<\/p>\n
One of the guides, Hamza, worries that the constant media coverage is giving people the impression that the situation is still dangerous. He insists it is safe.<\/p>\n
“This is a tourist city; without tourism there is no life. We hope that people will return like before: from Europe, from the Middle East, from America, Latin America and from everywhere. We start by lighting the Christmas tree, and then we will wait,” said Hamza. <\/p>\n
Unemployment in Bethlehem has skyrocketed in the past two years. Following deadly Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel in October 2023 that sparked the war, tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from the West Bank have been banned from entering Israel and Israeli settlements to work.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, civil servants receive only a fraction of their salaries from the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the West Bank. The PA relies on tax revenues collected on its behalf by Israel, which it now withholds \u2013 amounting to about $1,76 billion, according to the United Nations (UN) Trade and Development Agency.<\/p>\n
Israel says it is withholding the funds because the Palestinian Authority is paying benefits to Palestinian prisoners that encourage attacks on Israelis. The authority – which is under international pressure to implement reforms – says it has recently changed its social assistance system.<\/p>\n
The bleak economic outlook means that for many Palestinian Christians, although public events and religious services are now back, this will be a modest Christmas.<\/p>\n
On the edge of Manger Square, several customers wait to buy hot falafel balls from a row of shops.<\/p>\n
“We are preparing for Christmas after one of the most difficult periods for us as Palestinians and as Christians,” says Alaa Salame, owner of Aftim, a decades-old family restaurant whose revenue has plummeted.<\/p>\n
He states that many families have recently been unable to afford even falafel – a cheap, traditional snack.<\/p>\n
“Christians will try to celebrate, but according to their situation. Someone who wants to take their children to a festival, to the theater or anywhere, simply doesn’t have the money to spend on such a celebration,” Salame says,<\/p>\n
In a cavernous space at the bottom of the Church of the Nativity, a local woman accompanies a small group of tourists from India, bends down next to a silver star marking the place where Jesus is believed to have been born, and lights a candle.<\/p>\n
While tensions remain high across the region, people in Bethlehem say they are praying for peace – and hoping tourists will return to the place where Christmas is believed to have begun.<\/p>\n
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