(BETHLEHEM, West Financial institution) — The Nativity Retailer in Manger Sq. has offered handmade olive wooden carvings and spiritual objects to folks visiting the normal birthplace of Jesus since 1927. However as Bethlehem prepares to mark its second Christmas underneath the shadow of the conflict in Gaza, there are nearly no vacationers, leaving the Nativity Retailer and different companies not sure of how for much longer they will maintain on.
For the second straight year, Bethlehem’s Christmas celebrations shall be somber and muted, in deference to ongoing conflict in Gaza. There shall be no big Christmas tree in Manger Sq., no raucous scout marching bands, no public lights twinkling and only a few public decorations or shows.
“Final 12 months earlier than Christmas, we had extra hope, however now once more we’re near Christmas and we don’t have something,” stated Rony Tabash, the third-generation proprietor of Nativity Retailer.
Israel’s conflict in opposition to Hamas has been raging for almost 15 months, and there nonetheless is not any finish in sight. Repeated ceasefire efforts have stalled.
For the reason that conflict started, tourism to Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution has plummeted. And after Israel barred entry to a lot of the 150,000 Palestinians within the West Financial institution 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 revenue. However the streets are empty this season.
Tabash stated he continues to open the shop on daily basis, however usually a complete week will go by with no sale. Tabash works with greater than 25 native households who create hand-carved non secular objects out of the area’s storied olive wooden. However with no consumers, work has dried up for these households.
A number 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, stated Jiries Qumsiyeh, the spokesperson for the Palestinian tourism ministry.
In response to the Christmas story, Mary was pressured to offer delivery to Jesus in a steady as a result of there was no room on the inn. Right now, almost all of Bethlehem’s 5,500 lodge rooms are empty.
Town’s lodge occupancy price plunged from round 80% in early 2023 to round 3% at this time, stated Elias Al Arja, the top of Bethlehem Hoteliers Affiliation. At his personal lodge, the Bethlehem Resort, he stated he has laid off a employees of greater than 120 folks and retains simply 5 staff.
Town hosts greater than 100 shops and 450 workshops coping with conventional Palestinian handicraft, Qumsiyeh stated. However only a week earlier than Christmas, when the town must be bursting with guests, Manger Sq. was principally empty save for just a few locals promoting espresso and tea. Solely two of the eight shops in the primary drag of the sq. had been open for enterprise.
Qumsiyeh worries that when the conflict ends and tourism finally rebounds, most of the households which have handed down conventional abilities for generations will not be making the objects that replicate Palestinian heritage and tradition.
Many are leaving the area totally. “We now have witnessed a really excessive price of emigration for the reason that starting of the aggression, particularly amongst these working within the tourism sector,” stated Qumsiyeh.
A Christmas with out pleasure
Virtually 500 households have left Bethlehem prior to now 12 months, stated Mayor Anton Salman. And people are simply the households who moved overseas with official residency visas. Many others have moved overseas on non permanent vacationer visas and are working illegally, and it is unclear if they are going to return, Salman stated.
Round half of the inhabitants within the Bethlehem space, together with close by villages, works in both tourism or in jobs in Israel.
The unemployment price in Bethlehem is roughly 50%, stated Salman. Unemployment throughout the West Financial institution is around 30%, based on the Palestinian Economic system Ministry.
Canceling Christmas festivities is a technique to attract consideration to the tough state of affairs in Bethlehem and throughout the Palestinian territories, stated Salman. “This 12 months we need to present the world that the Palestinian persons are nonetheless struggling and so they haven’t the enjoyment that everyone else on the planet having,” stated Salman.
It’s one other blow to the Holy Land’s dwindling inhabitants over the last decade as a result of emigration and a low birthrate.
Christians are a small share of the inhabitants. There are about 182,000 in Israel, 50,000 within the West Financial institution and Jerusalem and 1,300 in Gaza, based on the U.S. State Division.
Discovering the sunshine within the night time
Father Issa Thaljieh, the parish priest of the Greek Orthodox Church within the Church of the Nativity, stated many households are struggling financially, leaving them unable to pay lease or college charges, a lot much less purchase Christmas presents or rejoice the vacation in different methods. The church’s social providers have tried to assist, however the wants are nice, he stated.
Thaljieh stated his Christmas message this 12 months centered on encouraging Palestinians in Bethlehem to remain regardless of the challenges.
“A church with out Christians is just not a church,” he stated, as employees hand-polished the ornate brass candelabras within the cavernous, empty church per week earlier than the vacation.
“The sunshine that was born when Jesus Christ was born right here is the sunshine that strikes past darkness, so we have now to attend, we have now to be affected person, we have now to wish rather a lot, and we have now to stick with our roots as a result of our roots are in Bethlehem,” he stated.
Some households are discovering methods to carry again pockets of pleasure.
Bethlehem resident Nihal Bandak, 39, gave into her three kids’s requests to have a Christmas tree this 12 months, after not having one final 12 months. Adorning 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 additionally torn.
“I used to be comfortable as a result of we get to brighten and rejoice, however persons are in Gaza who don’t have something to rejoice,” he stated.
Rony Tabash, the third-generation proprietor of Nativity Retailer, stated he’ll proceed to open the shop, as a result of it’s a part of his household’s historical past.
“We’re not feeling Christmas, however in the long run, Christmas is in our hearts,” he stated, including that your entire metropolis was praying for a ceasefire and peace. “We now have an enormous religion that all the time, once we see Christmas, it would give us the sunshine within the night time.”
