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Thousands of people gathered in Bethlehem’s Manger Square on Christmas Eve, as crowds of families and music and decorations provided a much-needed boost of Christmas spirit after two years of war-tinged, disappointing celebrations.
The giant Christmas tree that was absent during the Israel-Hamas war returned Wednesday as a parade of hundreds of smartly dressed Scouts played famous Christmas songs on bagpipes.
the city where Christians Despite the belief that Jesus was born, Christmas celebrations were canceled for the past two years during the war in Gaza, with few decorations or illuminations or festive events held.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic leader in the Holy Land, opened Christmas celebrations during a traditional procession. Jerusalem to Bethlehem, calling for a “Christmas full of lights”.
“After two years of darkness, we need light,” Pizzaballa, Jerusalem’s Latin patriarch, said as he crossed the separation wall dividing Jerusalem from Bethlehem.
Arriving in Manger Square, Pizzaballa said he brought greetings from Gaza’s small Christian community, where he had held a pre-Christmas Mass on Sunday. But amid the destruction, he also saw life and the will to rebuild.
“Together, we decide to be the light, and the light of Bethlehem is the light of the world,” he told thousands of Christians and Muslims gathered at the square.
Despite the excitement of the Wednesday holiday, the impact of the war israelAccording to the local government, the situation in the occupied West Bank is particularly dire in Bethlehem, where about 80% of the Muslim-majority city’s residents depend on tourism-related businesses.
Most of the people celebrating on Wednesday were local residents, with only a handful of foreigners included in the crowd.
But some residents said they are beginning to see some small signs of change as domestic tourism slowly returns and hopefully heralds the return of international tourists on whom the city depends.
Loss of tourism devastates Bethlehem
“Today is a day of joy, a day of hope, the beginning of a return to normal life here,” said Bethlehem resident Georgette Jackman, a tour guide who has not worked in more than two years. ,People Disappointed, but after two years everyone wants to celebrate.”
She and her husband, Michael Jackman, another guide who is out of work, are from established Christian Bethlehem families that span generations. It’s the first real Christmas celebration for their two children, ages 2 1/2 and 10 months.
During the war, Jackman set out to create a website selling Palestinian handicrafts, in order to support those who had lost their livelihoods.
Christmas and religious pilgrimages have always been a major economic engine for Bethlehem. Bethlehem Mayor Maher Nicola Canavati said earlier this month that during the Gaza war, the unemployment rate in the city rose from 14% to 65%.
“People are still afraid to come to visit,” said Georgette Jackman. “But if people come here, we can breathe a little bit into the world, even if we are living with restrictions.”
“I came because I wanted to better understand what people in Palestine are going through, and you can understand that people are going through a very difficult time,” said Mona Riviere, a French physiotherapist.
Although friends and family abroad had cautioned her against visiting because of the unstable situation, Rivier said that being in Bethlehem at Christmas helped her understand the meaning of the holiday.
He said, “Christmas is like hope in very dark circumstances, a very vulnerable child experiencing hardship.”
Despite a ceasefire that began in October, tensions remain high in much of the West Bank.
The Israeli army is continuously conducting raids as part of its action against militants. Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have reached their highest level since the UN humanitarian office began collecting data in 2006. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war.
The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority has limited autonomy in parts of the territory, including Bethlehem. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to attend midnight mass on Wednesday night for the first time in two years, the mayor said.
The mayor said poverty and unemployment had increased during the war, with about 4,000 people leaving Bethlehem in search of work.
This is part of a worrying trend for Christians, who are leaving the region in large numbers.
Christians make up less than 2% of the West Bank’s approximately 3 million residents, and that number is declining. Throughout the Middle East, the Christian population has steadily declined as people have fled conflict and attacks.
But on Wednesday, many people were thrilled to once again celebrate Christmas in the birthplace of Christianity.
Beginning of return to normal life
Fadi Zoghbi, who previously oversees logistics for the tour groups, said his children were thrilled to see more than two dozen Scouts marching bands through the streets of Bethlehem.
They represent the cities and towns of the West Bank, their bagpipes draped with Palestinian flags and tartans, the drummers swinging hammers decorated with pompoms. The Scouts marched silently through the streets in protest of the war that has been going on for the past two years.
Irene Kirmiz, who grew up in Bethlehem and now lives in Ramallah, said the Scout Parade is one of her favorite Christmas traditions. His 15-year-old daughter plays tenor drum with the Ramallah Scouts, the same instrument she played as a teenage Scout.
But his family in Ramallah had to wake up at 5 a.m. Wednesday and wait for three hours at Israeli checkpoints along the way to reach the parade in time. He said that previously the drive took 40 minutes without checkpoints, making the journey difficult for Palestinians.
“It’s very emotional to see people trying to come back, trying to celebrate peace and love,” Kirmiz said. “I remember the Bethlehem of my childhood, it’s really dependent on tourism, and a lot of Christians are gone, the streets are empty and families are suffering. But today we see the light of happiness, and we’re hoping for a better peace for everyone.”
The Israeli Tourism Ministry estimates that 130,000 tourists will visit Israel by the end of December, including 40,000 Christians. In 2019, which was a banner year for tourism before the pandemic, the tourism ministry said 150,000 Christian tourists visited during the Christmas week alone.
The war and lack of tourism have had far-reaching effects in Bethlehem, made worse by Israel revoking work permits for Palestinians from the West Bank during the war and pushing the area into poverty.
During the past two years, heads of churches in Jerusalem urged congregants to abandon “any unnecessary festive activities”. He encouraged priests and the faithful to focus on the spiritual meaning of Christmas and called for “fervent prayer for a just and lasting peace for our beloved Holy Land.”
The giant Christmas tree in Bethlehem’s Manger Square was not erected and instead featured a scene of the birth of the baby Jesus surrounded by debris and barbed wire in tribute to the situation in Gaza.