With no Christmas tree and decorations adorning the Church of the Nativity, revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, holiday cheer was absent Tuesday in Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
In central Bethlehem, the Terra Sancta scout troop, dressed in red scarves, marched down the main shopping street where vendors sold nougat and shawarma.
The sweet sound of children singing Christmas carols filled the air, contrasting sharply with the somber messages on the banners they held: “We want life, not death” and “Stop the Gaza genocide now!” »
For the second year in a row, Christmas festivities in Bethlehem are overshadowed by war.
A large Christmas tree usually stands on Manger Square, opposite the Church of the Nativity, built atop a cave where Christians believe Jesus was born more than 2,000 years ago.
But like last year, the municipality of Bethlehem decided to opt for modest celebrations, out of respect for the Palestinians who are suffering in Gaza.
For Christians in the Holy Land, of whom there are approximately 185,000 in Israel and 47,000 in the Palestinian territory, prayer can offer comfort and hope for a better future.
“We will pray and ask God to end our suffering, to give this part of the world the peace that we are waiting for, the peace that Jesus brought to the world,” said Anton Salman, the mayor of Bethlehem.
Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem who presided over mass in Gaza on Sunday, shared a similar message of hope as he prepared to preside over midnight mass in Bethlehem.
“I just arrived yesterday from Gaza. I saw everything destroyed, the poverty, the disaster,” he said.
“But I’ve also seen life – they don’t give up. So we must not give up either. Never,” Pizzaballa added in a speech outside the Bethlehem Peace Center, a cultural venue.
“We are stronger, we belong to the light, not to the darkness,” he said, standing next to a Palestinian flag. “Next year we want to see the biggest Christmas tree ever.”
