Islam Times - Silent Nights in Bethlehem As Israeli Violence Overshadows Christmas

Islam Times - The festive spirit was subdued in Bethlehem this Christmas as ongoing violence in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank overshadowed celebrations, leaving the Church of the Nativity without its traditional decorations.

In the heart of Bethlehem, the Terra Sancta Scout Troop, clad in red scarves, marched solemnly down the main shopping street on Christmas Eve. Vendors sold nougat and shawarma, while the voices of children singing carols contrasted with the sombre banners they carried, bearing messages like “We want life, not death” and “Stop the Gaza genocide now!”

The city’s municipality, for the second consecutive year, opted for modest festivities, foregoing a large Christmas tree in Manger Square, out of respect for Palestinians enduring hardship in Gaza.

Bethlehem Mayor Anton Salman expressed a message of hope amid the sorrow.

“We’re going to pray and ask God to end our suffering, to give this part of the world the peace that we expect, the peace that Jesus brought to the world,” Salman said.

Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, who led mass in Gaza days earlier, echoed this sentiment as he prepared to preside over midnight mass in Bethlehem.

“I just arrived yesterday from Gaza. I saw everything destroyed, poverty, disaster,” Pizzaballa said.
“But I also saw life – they don’t give up. So you should not give up either. Never.”

Standing near the Bethlehem Peace Center and alongside a Palestinian flag, Pizzaballa urged resilience and unity.

“We are stronger, we belong to light, not to darkness,” he said.
“Next year, we want to see the biggest Christmas tree ever.”

Despite the sombre mood, Christians in the region, numbering approximately 185,000 in occupied-Palestine and 47,000 in Palestinian territories, turned to prayer for solace, hoping for a future marked by peace.