Current:Home > FinanceBethlehem experiencing a less festive Christmas amid Israel-Hamas war -Streamline Finance
Bethlehem experiencing a less festive Christmas amid Israel-Hamas war
View
Date:2025-04-15 11:30:41
Christmas will look different in the Middle East this year as Israel's war against Hamas rages on.
The conflict, which began over 11 weeks ago and has left more than 20,000 Palestinians dead in Gaza, has caused the town of Bethlehem, the globally revered birthplace of Jesus located in the occupied West Bank, to witness a Christmas unlike those in the past.
Meanwhile, many local shops have closed their doors since the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas. The subsequent Israeli ground offensive has also severely impacted tourism in the Holy Land.
Traditionally, this historic town is a focal point of worldwide Christmas celebrations, bustling with vibrant decorations, Christmas trees, Santa Claus appearances and joyful carolers.
This year, many residents are choosing to forgo festivities altogether as a message of solidarity to Palestinians in Gaza. The town is eerily quiet, and the usually crowded Church of the Nativity now sees empty pews.
At the Evangelical Lutheran Church, they've fashioned a nativity scene out of what can be found almost everywhere in Gaza: Rubble, according to Pastor Munther Isaac.
"We've seen so many images of children being pulled out of the rubble. And to us, this is a message that Jesus identifies with our suffering," Isaac said.
Palestinian Christians make up the world's oldest community of believers, but their numbers are shrinking. In the West Bank, only 2% of Palestinians are Christians today. In Gaza, it's less than 1%, with the vast majority believed to be left homeless by the war.
Mirna Alatrash, a Christian from Bethlehem, fears her community is facing extinction while the world looks away.
"They forgot about the Palestinian case," she said. "It's really forgotten by the Christians all over the world."
Father Sandro Tomasevic serves at the Church of the Nativity and said the Christian community desires peace amid the conflict.
"It's a big struggle, of course, because the Christians here are in the middle," he said. "You know, they always want peace. They don't want conflict. They don't want war. They just want everybody just to sit down, talk about peace. Let's pray together."
Chris LivesayChris Livesay is a CBS News foreign correspondent based in Rome.
TwitterveryGood! (5355)
Related
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- How the Trump Administration’s Climate Denial Left Its Mark on The Arctic Council
- While It Could Have Been Worse, Solar Tariffs May Hit Trump Country Hard
- Education Secretary Miguel Cardona: Affirmative action ruling eliminates a valuable tool for universities
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- North Dakota colleges say Minnesota's free tuition plan catastrophic for the state
- Carbon capture technology: The future of clean energy or a costly and misguided distraction?
- A Timeline of Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall's Never-Ending Sex and the City Feud
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Wheeler Announces a New ‘Transparency’ Rule That His Critics Say Is Dangerous to Public Health
Ranking
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- In ‘After Water’ Project, 12 Writers Imagine Life in Climate Change-Altered Chicago
- Hunter Biden's former business partner was willing to go before a grand jury. He never got the chance.
- A German Initiative Seeks to Curb Global Emissions of a Climate Super-Pollutant
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Taylor Swift Totally Swallowed a Bug During Her Eras Tour Stop in Chicago
- Overstock.com to rebrand as Bed Bath & Beyond after purchasing its assets
- Court Strikes Down Trump Rollback of Climate Regulations for Coal-Fired Power Plants
Recommendation
Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
Virginia sheriff gave out deputy badges in exchange for cash bribes, feds say
4 States Get Over 30 Percent of Power from Wind — and All Lean Republican
Does aspartame have health risks? Here's what studies have found about the sweetener as WHO raises safety questions.
See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
Climate Scientists Take Their Closest Look Yet at the Warming Impact of Aviation Emissions
Bindi Irwin Honors Parents Steve and Terri's Eternal Love in Heartfelt Anniversary Message
USPS is hiking the price of a stamp to 66 cents in July — a 32% increase since 2019