Palestinian Christians struggle to find hope at Christmas

The small town of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank has good reason to consider itself the capital of Christmas, but it doesn’t feel that way this year.

There are usually very few visitors at peak time. There are neither the usual cheerful street decorations nor the giant Christmas tree in front of the Church of the Nativity, built over the place where Jesus is believed to have been born.

Public Christmas celebrations were canceled for the second year in a row due to the war in Gaza. Only Palestinian Christians attend religious celebrations and family gatherings.

“This should be a time of joy and celebration,” comments Rev. Dr. Munther Ishaq, a local Lutheran pastor. “But Bethlehem is a sad city, in solidarity with our brothers in Gaza.”

In his church, a nativity scene shows the baby Jesus lying in a pile of rubble. In the run-up to Christmas, the prayer service focused on the catastrophic situation in Gaza.

“It is difficult to believe that another Christmas is upon us and the genocide has not stopped,” Ishaq said in his strongly worded sermon. “Decision makers are content to let this continue. For them, the Palestinians can be dispensed with.”

Israel strongly denies accusations of genocide in Gaza, and judges at the United Nations Supreme Court have yet to issue a ruling in a case alleging genocide, brought by South Africa.

Many of the Bethlehem Christians I met feel despair and question what they see as the failure of other Christian communities around the world to speak out.

Close ties between members of the small Palestinian Christian community mean that many locals have family and friends in Gaza.

Theologian Dr. Youssef Khoury, originally from Gaza City, says: “My mother told me that what we see on television does not represent 1% of what is happening.”

His parents and sister were among a few hundred Christians who spent most of the past 14 months sheltering in two churches in Gaza.

“They are exposed, like the entire Gaza Strip, to starvation,” he says. “And of course, they hardly sleep because of the bombing, because of the drones flying over their heads, and the lack of medical care and services.”

“We have lost friends and relatives.”

In Gaza, more than 45,000 people were killed in the war that broke out in response to Hamas attacks on southern Israel. The figures come from the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, but are considered reliable by the United Nations and others. The attack, which occurred on October 7, 2023, killed about 1,200 people – Israelis and some foreigners – and led to the taking of about 250 hostages.

Tensions escalated in the West Bank in parallel with the war. Israel imposed new restrictions on Palestinian movements and canceled tens of thousands of permits for workers who used to cross into Jerusalem or Jewish settlements daily.

The economy is suffering from severe hardship, especially in the city of Bethlehem, which relies heavily on tourism, which has almost completely stopped. Guides stand idly by the Church of the Nativity, feeding the pigeons.

“If there is [are] “Tourists, everyone will work: hotels, transportation, accommodation, all of them,” says one of the guides, Abdullah. [if] there [are] There are no tourists and no life in the city of Bethlehem.”

“I’m broke! No work! We stayed at home for more than a year,” says Adnan Sabah, a souvenir seller on Star Street.

“My son is a tour guide at the church, we stay at home, all my children stay. No jobs, no work, no tourists.”

Many local Christian and Muslim families have immigrated in the past year. With the constant threat of violence and the expansion of settlements on lands where Palestinians have long sought an independent state of their own, there is growing 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 from expatriates.

Wael Al-Shaer, president of the Palestine Lions Club, says: “As you know, Christmas is the spirit of giving, love and joy. We hope that through this package we can give some hope and joy to families in our region.”

I follow Wael as he gives birth to a woman who lives in a nearby apartment. Her husband is sick and unemployed. She gratefully opens the box of supplies she was given and takes an envelope of cash.

She and Wael exchange the usual holiday greetings and wish each other a peaceful year ahead.

“Mission accomplished!” Wael tells me as we head out.

“Spread a little Christmas cheer.”