Bethlehem in Palestine will have ‘worst Christmas ever’

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Tourists and pilgrims desert the birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem in Palestine as impact of Israel war which empties the Palestinian town of Bethlehem ahead of Christmas 2023.

Bethlehem in Palestine is normally at its busiest at Christmas. But this year war has scared away tourists and pilgrims from the West Bank which was under Israeli attack.

Hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops were vaccant.

Global headlines dominated since Oct. 7 by news of the Hamas attacks in southern Israel.

Israel’s military assault on Gaza followed this and a rise in violence in the West Bank, business owners in Bethlehem said no one was coming.

Joey Canavati, owner of the Alexander Hotel, said that they have no guests.

His family has lived and worked in Bethlehem for four generations.

This is the worst Christmas ever. Christmas has closed Bethlehem. No Christmas tree, no joy, no Christmas spirit, he said.

Bethlehem is heavily reliant for income and jobs on visitors from all over the world who come to see the Church of the Nativity. Christians believe that the tree stands on the site where Jesus was born.

The location of Bethlehem is to the south of Jerusalem.

Canavati said that before Oct. 7, his hotel was fully booked for Christmas, to the point that he was looking for rooms elsewhere in the town to help out people he could not fit in.

Since the war started, everyone cancelled, including bookings for next year.

He took a television channel on a tour of the hotel, opening doors to empty rooms and showing the silent dining room.

Increasing attacks

Since the 1967 war between Israel and neighbouring Arab countries, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of a future independent state.

Israel has built Jewish settlements, deemed illegal by most countries, across the territory. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land. Several of its ministers live in settlements and favour their expansion.

Since Oct. 7, the West Bank has experienced a rise in attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinians. These were already at a 15-year high this year before the Hamas attack.

Bethlehem’s Manger Square,was quiet and almost empty, as were nearby streets where most souvenir shops were shuttered.

It is a large paved space in front of the Church of the Nativity that usually serves as a focal point for Christmas celebrations.

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