Celebrations in the occupied West Bank town which, according to Christian tradition, was the birthplace of Jesus Christ, were canceled in solidarity with Gaza.
Religious authorities in Bethlehem, a city in the occupied West Bank which, according to Christian tradition, saw the birth of Jesus Christ, have renounced any celebration this year “unnecessarily festive” in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
“We canceled everything. We canceled the Christmas market, the Christmas carols, the children’s activities, because the feeling in Bethlehem is that we are in mourning, explained Hana Hananiyeh, mayor of the city. We are very sad because we are an essential part of the Palestinian community.”
An installation entitled “The Nativity under the Rubble” was inaugurated in Bethlehem’s Manger Square, where the Christmas tree usually stands. The statue depicts the Nativity figures amid the remains of a demolished building.
A similar facility is found in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church; instead of a nativity scene, there is a set of rubble, with animals nearby, and the baby Jesus, wrapped in a black and white checkered Palestinian scarf, is lying on the pile of rubble.
According to local authorities, no tourists can go to Bethlehem, a town isolated since the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7.