Bethlehem celebrates Christmas under the shadow of war. Christians gathered in the Church of the Nativity, in the holy city, to celebrate the birth of Jesus and for the second consecutive year, the festive decorations were missing.
Several hundred people were present, although few compared to the tourist attendance of past years, given the escalation of the war between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
In Manger Square, the heart of the Palestinian city dominated by the church that marks the place where Jesus Christ was born for Christians, a group of scouts held a parade. Traditionally in Bethlehem a large Christmas tree illuminated Manger Square, but for the second year the local authorities preferred not to organize elaborate celebrations.
“This year we have limited our joy,” said the mayor of Bethlehem, Anton Salman. The patriarch, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, told the crowd in Bethlehem that he had just returned from Gaza, where he “saw everything destroyed, poverty, disaster.” «But I have also seen life: they don’t give up. So you shouldn’t give up either. Never,” he added. Despite the gloomy climate, some Christians in the Holy Land (around 185,000 in Israel and 47,000 in the Palestinian territories) have found refuge in prayer. “Christmas is a celebration of faith. We will pray and ask God to put an end to our suffering,” Salman said.
Christmas tree burning, protests in Damascus for Christian rights
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Christian areas of Damascus after the burning of a Christmas tree near Hama, central Syria. The demonstrators, chanting slogans for the defense of Christian rights, marched towards the headquarters of the Orthodox Patriarchate in the Bab Sharqi neighborhood. “If we are not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country, as we did before, then we no longer belong here”one protester said.
The protests erupted after the release of a video showing hooded fighters setting fire to a Christmas tree in the predominantly Christian town of Suqaylabiyah. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the fighters were foreigners from the Islamic group Ansar al-Tawhid. A religious leader from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) promised punishment. “The tree will be restored and lit up by tomorrow morning,” he said.