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 this year it doesn’t feel like it.

There are usually very few visitors during peak times. There are neither the usual cheerful street decorations, nor a giant Christmas tree in front of the Church of the Nativity, built on the site where Jesus is believed to have been born.

Due to the war in Gaza, public Christmas celebrations have been canceled for the second year in a row. Palestinian Christians only attend religious ceremonies and family gatherings.

“This should be a time of joy and celebration,” commented the Rev. Dr. Munter Isaac, a local Lutheran pastor. “But Bethlehem is a sad city in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Gaza.”

In his church, a nativity scene shows the baby Jesus lying in a pile of rubble. On the eve of Christmas, the prayer service was devoted to the catastrophic situation in Gaza.

“It’s hard to believe that another Christmas has come and the genocide hasn’t stopped,” Isaac said in his hard-hitting sermon. “The decision-makers are happy that this is going on. For them, the Palestinians are unnecessary.”

Israel vehemently denies allegations of genocide in Gaza, and judges at the UN’s top court have yet to rule on a genocide case brought by South Africa.

Many Bethlehem Christians I meet feel despair and doubt at what they see as the inability of other Christian communities around the world to speak up.

The close ties between members of the tiny Palestinian Christian community mean that many locals have family and friends in Gaza.

“My mom used to tell me that what we see on TV doesn’t reflect one percent of what’s going on,” says theologian Dr. Youssef Khoury, who hails from Gaza City.

His parents and sister are among several hundred Christians who have spent most of the past 14 months hiding in two churches in Gaza.

“They, like the entire Gaza Strip, are starving. Of course, they hardly sleep because of the bombings, because of all the drones flying over their heads, and the lack of medical care and services,” he says.

“We have lost friends and relatives.”

In Gaza, more than 45,000 people have been killed in the war, which was launched in response to Hamas attacks on southern Israel. The figures come from the Hamas-run health ministry, but are considered reliable by the UN and others. As a result of the attack on October 7, 2023. about 1,200 people died – Israelis and a few foreigners – and about 250 were taken hostage.

In parallel with the war, tensions in the West Bank increased. Israel imposed new restrictions on Palestinian movement and revoked tens of thousands of permits for workers who crossed into Jerusalem or Jewish settlements each day.

The economy is in dire straits, especially in Bethlehem, which is heavily dependent on tourism, which has almost completely stopped. The tour guides stand idly by the Church of the Nativity of Christ, feeding the pigeons.

“When (there are) tourists, all people will work: hotels, transport, accommodation, all of them,” says one of the guides, Abdullah. “But (if) there are (no) tourists, there is no life in the city of Bethlehem.”

“I’m torn! No problem! We have been sitting at home for more than a year,” exclaims Adnan Subah, a souvenir seller on Star Street.

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

Many local Christian and Muslim families emigrated last year. With the constant threat of violence and the expansion of settlements in lands where the Palestinians have long sought their own independent state, fear and uncertainty about the future are increasing.

But a community group in Bethlehem is trying to make a difference by packing food parcels for those in need. There is no state aid here, and donations are collected by volunteers – including from the diaspora.

“As you know, Christmas is about the spirit of giving, love and joy. And we hope that with this package we can bring hope and joy to families in our area,” says Wael Scheer, head of the Palestine Lions Club.

I follow Vael as he makes his first delivery to a woman who lives in a nearby apartment. Her husband is ill and does not work. She gratefully opens the box of supplies she was given and takes the envelope of cash.

She and Vael exchange the usual holiday greeting, wishing each other a peaceful year.

“Mission Accomplished!” Vael tells me as we leave.

“Spreading a little Christmas cheer.”