In a time of traditional rejoicing, many Palestinian Christians – in Bethlehem and beyond – are gripped by helplessness, pain and worry amid Israel’s brutal war against Gaza. Some cry, lobby for an end to the war, struggle to bring loved ones to safety, or seek comfort in the Christmas message of hope.
In the occupied West Bank, Suzan Sahori, executive director of Bethlehem Fair Trade Artisans, an organization selling artisanal products, will pray for peace and justice. She’s grateful to be safe – but wonders if that could change. She is also angry.
“The joy in my heart has been stolen,” she said. “I said, ‘My God, how do you allow all these children to die? …I am angry with God; I hope he forgives me.
In better times, she finds the spirit of Christmas in the Bethlehem area unmatched: it is reflected in the songs that cascade through the illuminated streets, the markets displaying decorations and the enthusiasm of children, families and tourists taking photos with imposing Christmas trees.
Now everything is calmer, darker. The tree lighting ceremonies she attended last year were canceled.
Jerusalem church leaders urged congregations to desist from “any unnecessarily festive activity.” They encouraged priests and worshipers to focus on the spiritual significance of Christmas and called for “fervent prayers for a just and lasting peace for our beloved Holy Land.”
More than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza, launched after the October 7 Hamas attack that left nearly 1,200 dead and Hamas taking more than 200 more prisoners.
A few days before Christmas, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said that two Christian women inside a church in Gaza had been killed by Israeli sniper fire. The Israeli military said its troops were targeting Hamas fighters in the area. He said he was investigating the incident.
According to the US State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report for 2022, an estimated 50,000 Christian Palestinians reside in the West Bank and Jerusalem. About 1,300 Christians lived in Gaza, according to the report. Some Christians are also citizens of Israel. Many Palestinian Christians live in diaspora communities.
In Bethlehem, the Rev. Munther Isaac, pastor of Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church, said tears flowed during Sunday services. Many are worried; some packed their bags and left.
Isaac was part of a group that traveled to Washington to advocate for a cease-fire.
“A comprehensive and just peace is the only hope for both Palestinians and Israelis,” says a letter signed by several Christian pastoral leaders in Bethlehem. Addressed to President Joe Biden, it asked him to help stop the war.
The signatories said they deplored all deaths, Palestinian and Israeli.
“We want a constant and comprehensive ceasefire. Enough death. Enough destruction. …This is our call and our prayer this Christmas.
Israel, whose forces have been accused by some of using excessive force, says it wants to destroy Hamas and accuses it of putting civilians in danger. Israel and its American ally are also increasingly facing international concern over the scale of death, destruction and displacement in Gaza. Of those killed in Gaza, more than 80 percent are civilians, according to Palestinian authorities.
The Church of Isaac features a nativity scene where the baby Jesus, wrapped in a black and white Palestinian keffiyeh, lies in the rubble. Doing this exhibition was an emotional and spiritual experience, he said.
“We see Jesus in every child killed, and we see God identifying with us in our suffering. »
