EGN NEWS DESK
(BETHLEHEM, West Bank) — The Nativity Store in Manger Square has bought handmade olive wooden carvings and spiritual gadgets to folks visiting the standard birthplace of Jesus since 1927. But as Bethlehem prepares to mark its second Christmas below the shadow of the battle in Gaza, there are virtually no vacationers, leaving the Nativity Store and different companies not sure of how for much longer they’ll maintain on.
For the second straight 12 months, Bethlehem’s Christmas celebrations might be somber and muted, in deference to ongoing battle in Gaza. There might be no big Christmas tree in Manger Square, no raucous scout marching bands, no public lights twinkling and only a few public decorations or shows.
“Last 12 months earlier than Christmas, we had extra hope, however now once more we’re near Christmas and we don’t have something,” mentioned Rony Tabash, the third-generation proprietor of Nativity Store.
Israel’s battle towards Hamas has been raging for practically 15 months, and there nonetheless is not any finish in sight. Repeated ceasefire efforts have stalled.
Since the battle started, tourism to Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank has plummeted. And after Israel barred entry to a lot of the 150,000 Palestinians within the West Bank who had jobs in Israel, the Palestinian economic system contracted by 25% prior to now 12 months.
The yearly Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem — shared amongst Armenian, Catholic and Orthodox denominations — are normally main boons for the town, the place tourism accounts for 70% of its yearly earnings. But the streets are empty this season.
Tabash mentioned he continues to open the shop on daily basis, however usually a complete week will go by with out a sale. Tabash works with greater than 25 native households who create hand-carved non secular gadgets out of the area’s storied olive wooden. But with no consumers, work has dried up for these households.
Lots of room on the inn
The variety of guests to the town plunged from a pre-COVID excessive of round 2 million guests per 12 months in 2019 to fewer than 100,000 guests in 2024, mentioned Jiries Qumsiyeh, the spokesperson for the Palestinian tourism ministry.
According to the Christmas story, Mary was compelled to offer beginning to Jesus in a secure as a result of there was no room on the inn. Today, practically all of Bethlehem’s 5,500 resort rooms are empty.
The metropolis’s resort occupancy fee plunged from round 80% in early 2023 to round 3% at the moment, mentioned Elias Al Arja, the top of Bethlehem Hoteliers Association. At his personal resort, the Bethlehem Hotel, he mentioned he has laid off a workers of greater than 120 folks and retains simply 5 staff.
The metropolis hosts greater than 100 shops and 450 workshops coping with conventional Palestinian handicraft, Qumsiyeh mentioned. But only a week earlier than Christmas, when the town ought to be bursting with guests, Manger Square was largely empty save for a number of locals promoting coffee and tea. Only two of the eight shops in the principle drag of the sq. had been open for enterprise.
Qumsiyeh worries that when the battle ends and tourism ultimately rebounds, lots of the households which have handed down conventional expertise for generations will now not be making the gadgets that replicate Palestinian heritage and tradition.
Many are leaving the area solely. “We have witnessed a really excessive fee of emigration because the starting of the aggression, particularly amongst these working within the tourism sector,” mentioned Qumsiyeh.
A Christmas with out pleasure
Almost 500 households have left Bethlehem prior to now 12 months, mentioned Mayor Anton Salman. And these are simply the households who moved overseas with official residency visas. Many others have moved overseas on short-term vacationer visas and are working illegally, and it is unclear if they may return, Salman mentioned.
Around half of the inhabitants within the Bethlehem space, together with close by villages, works in both tourism or in jobs in Israel.
The unemployment fee in Bethlehem is roughly 50%, mentioned Salman. Unemployment throughout the West Bank is round 30%, in keeping with the Palestinian Economy Ministry.
Canceling Christmas festivities is a technique to attract consideration to the troublesome scenario in Bethlehem and throughout the Palestinian territories, mentioned Salman. “This 12 months we need to present the world that the Palestinian persons are nonetheless struggling they usually haven’t the enjoyment that everyone else on this planet having,” mentioned Salman.
It is one other blow to the Holy Land’s dwindling inhabitants over the last decade attributable to emigration and a low birthrate.
Christians are a small proportion of the inhabitants. There are about 182,000 in Israel, 50,000 within the West Bank and Jerusalem and 1,300 in Gaza, in keeping with the U.S. State Department.
Finding the sunshine within the night time
Father Issa Thaljieh, the parish priest of the Greek Orthodox Church within the Church of the Nativity, mentioned many households are struggling financially, leaving them unable to pay hire or college charges, a lot much less purchase Christmas presents or rejoice the vacation in different methods. The church’s social companies have tried to assist, however the wants are nice, he mentioned.
Thaljieh mentioned his Christmas message this 12 months targeted on encouraging Palestinians in Bethlehem to remain regardless of the challenges.
“A church with out Christians shouldn’t be a church,” he mentioned, as employees hand-polished the ornate brass candelabras within the cavernous, empty church per week earlier than the vacation.
“The mild that was born when Jesus Christ was born right here is the sunshine that strikes past darkness, so we now have to attend, we now have to be affected person, we now have to wish lots, and we now have to stick with our roots as a result of our roots are in Bethlehem,” he mentioned.
Some households are discovering methods to convey again pockets of pleasure.
Bethlehem resident Nihal Bandak, 39, gave into her three youngsters’s requests to have a Christmas tree this 12 months, after not having one final 12 months. Decorating the tree is the favourite a part of Christmas of her youngest daughter, 8-year-old Stephanie.
Mathew Bandak, 11 was thrilled his household introduced again a few of their traditions, but in addition torn.
“I used to be pleased as a result of we get to embellish and rejoice, however persons are in Gaza who don’t have something to rejoice,” he mentioned.
Rony Tabash, the third-generation proprietor of Nativity Store, mentioned he’ll proceed to open the shop, as a result of it’s a part of his household’s historical past.
“We aren’t feeling Christmas, however ultimately, Christmas is in our hearts,” he mentioned, including that the complete metropolis was praying for a ceasefire and peace. “We have an enormous religion that all the time, after we see Christmas, it’s going to give us the sunshine within the night time.”
