A marching band played carols, a choir sang hymns and the lights adorning a giant evergreen blinked on, as Christmas tentatively returned to Bethlehem’s Manger Square.
For the past two years, Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank have largely avoided public celebrations of Christmas out of sensitivity to the war in Gaza. That has meant an absence of the traditional tree-lighting ceremonies, musical performances and elaborate, blindingly illuminated decorations.
With a fragile ceasefire largely holding, Christians in the West Bank, who make up less than 2 per cent of the population there, are trying to revive the holiday spirit.
In Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus, the streets were adorned with banners in Arabic and English, quoting from the Bible’s Book of Isaiah: “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” Yet the city’s recent tree-lighting ceremony was a small bright spot at an otherwise sombre moment.
The past year has seen a surge of Israeli extremist settler attacks on Palestinian communities across the West Bank. That reached a record high in October, with 271 attacks, or about eight a
day, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Palestinian Affairs, which began keeping records in 2006.
Earlier this year, the Israeli government authorised the largest settlement expansion in decades and on Sunday, the cabinet approved a proposal to authorise 19 more settlements. The United Nations and the International Court of Justice say that all Israeli settlements in the West Bank violate international law.
In the Bethlehem area, home to one of the largest Christian Palestinian communities, at least 59 Palestinians were injured in settler attacks from the start of the year through November, according to UN data, a figure that is higher than for all of 2024.
Maher Canawati, the city’s mayor, said the recent Christmas event was both a celebration and a statement of hope. “We want peace, we want life,” he said, adding that peace was needed “so we can continue living in our cities and
in Palestine”.
Beyond its religious significance, Christmas is important for Bethlehem’s economy. Without the seasonal celebrations, the city’s tourism industry would wither, according to Yousef Handal, 47, a barista at a cafe just off the main square.
“It brings out what the city can offer,” he said. “But I can’t say that the joy of the Christmas spirit is felt.”
That was the mood among many Christian communities in the West Bank this Christmas, amid modest celebrations and muted merrymaking. Many settled for a theme of resilience instead.
“It feels great to be able to see smiles and decorations, and lights up in our streets,” said Yousef Oweis, 23, who was making doughnuts at Ramallah’s Christmas market. “It’s a way the Palestinians say, ‘We are here’.”
New York Times News Service
