The mayor of Bethlehem says the survival of Christianity in the city where Our Lord was born depends not only on protecting holy sites, but on preserving the local Christian community itself \u2014 which he describes as the city\u2019s \u201cliving stones.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a wide-ranging interview<\/a> published Jan. 13 with Jason Jones, president and founder of the Vulnerable People Project<\/a>, Bethlehem Mayor Maher Canawati described his role as mayor as both civic and spiritual: He is charged with sustaining Bethlehem\u2019s economy, safeguarding its Christian presence, and advocating internationally for justice and peace in a time of war and instability.<\/p>\n \u201cThe message of peace, the message of Christ, the message of Christmas would not be the same if this community is diminished,\u201d Canawati told Jones. \u201cAnd I\u2019m inviting everybody to come and walk Bethlehem, walk the history of Bethlehem, make the Bible alive in their visit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He also urged pilgrims to connect with the people in Bethlehem \u2014 the \u201cliving stones\u201d who make up the Mystical Body of Christ.<\/p>\n Reviving Christmas amid ongoing violence\u00a0<\/p>\n Canawati assumed office in May 2025. He told Jones that one of the most consequential decisions of his first few months as mayor was his choice to revive Bethlehem\u2019s Christmas celebrations after two consecutive years of cancellations tied to regional violence and economic devastation. Advisers warned the move could damage his political future, but he said the city had no other option: \u201cI listened to my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve lost 4,000 people during these two years of war,\u201d Canawati said, citing forced business closures and families who have fled the region. \u201cTo reignite tourism can only be done by reigniting the spirit of Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n After announcing the return of Christmas celebrations, Canawati said he received more than 7,000 messages of support from around the world. He recounted that \u201cnot even one message was negative.\u201d<\/p>\n As Reuters reported<\/a>, in December Bethlehem lit its roughly 65-foot Christmas tree, adorned with traditional red and gold lights, in front of the historic Church of the Nativity, revered as the birthplace of Christ.<\/p>\n Speaking to Jones, Canawati pushed back on perceptions that Bethlehem is unsafe, calling it \u201cthe safest place in the world.\u201d He said pilgrims are slowly returning, including large groups of Indian Christians with ancient ties to the Holy Land.<\/p>\n Ethnic cleansing and suffering in Gaza\u00a0<\/p>\n Canawati spoke at length about Palestinian suffering, describing what he called decades of historical displacement, and an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza despite the U.S.-brokered ceasefire<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no other word than ethnic cleansing,\u201d he said, citing the large Palestinian Christian diaspora. \u201cChristian Palestinians in Palestine are 165,000. Christian Palestinians in [the] diaspora are 4 million.\u201d<\/p>\n >> Exclusive interview: Franciscans of the Holy Land explain plight of Christians in Bethlehem <<\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Of Gaza, he said, \u201cWhat happened in Gaza was definitely harsher than genocide,\u201d pointing to civilian casualties and the destruction of churches and hospitals.<\/p>\n Canawati also shared personal experiences to illustrate the daily reality for many Palestinians. He recalled witnessing the killing of his best friend when he was 11 years old in 1989.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen Israeli soldiers barging into our shop, our businesses, taking all of the gold and taking all of our home furniture and my mom\u2019s jewelry and all that,\u201d he also told Jones. \u201cI\u2019ve seen my cousin shot at the checkpoint just for no reason, coming back from a party. I\u2019ve seen family members dying at the checkpoint while trying to reach a hospital in an ambulance.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite that history, Canawati said Palestinians seek reconciliation rather than revenge: \u201cIf you look deep into our souls, we want to forgive. We want to let go of all these feelings.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEach Palestinian, every Palestinian, has a story to tell,\u201d he said. \u201cBut at the end, we want to live in peace. We want to share this land and build bridges of peace in order to prosper, in order to have a better future for our kids. And that\u2019s exactly the message of the Palestinian people.\u201d<\/p>\n