In Bethlehem, there were no traditional Christmas celebrations this year and religious ceremonies are made do with churches only, due to the war in the Gaza Strip. The entrance to the New Year will also not be accompanied this time by the traditional events and festive activities customary in the city every year.
Christmas Mass in Bethlehem and Nazareth (Archive) | Uncredited
Residents and merchants in Bethlehem say the city looks completely different this year. The city streets are almost empty, traffic in the markets is very weak, and tourists hardly come. "There are no customers, we sit inside the store without anyone coming in," George, owner of a gold store in the city, told Israel Hayom. "There are no trees or decorations on the streets, not even Santa Claus. It's hard to find where to get gifts for children, so you give them simple things."
Christmas decorations in Bethlehem (archive), photo: Moish Maoz
According to him, the city, which normally relies on the tourism industry, is experiencing economic distress due to the sharp decline in the number of tourists coming in, whether from among Israeli Arabs or from abroad. "The shops are closed because people don't come to buy," he explains. "On these days of the holiday, we usually have a lot of buyers coming from outside. People spend money on clothes and gifts for each other, but now who will allow themselves to buy gold and jewelry?"
Tourists in Bethlehem during Christmas, archive, photo: Reuters
"Israeli Arabs, who travel here with their families and enjoy the activities in the city and have fun, did not come this year. The atmosphere does not match the situation, there is no work. The activity of many businesses stopped in the last three months after the outbreak of the war," says George.
Christmas in Bethlehem, tourists are not coming this year,
George adds: "Restaurants closed because people stopped coming. There are far fewer events and weddings than usual. Because of what's happening in Gaza, people don't want to celebrate. Even shopping for new clothes for the holiday barely happened this year. Corona was bad, but not like that. So tourists would put masks on their faces and come to hang out and shop."
Restaurant in Bethlehem, archive, people not coming, photo: Reuters
In Bethlehem routinely, many tourists stay in hotels around the city on Christmas days. Now many have cancelled their orders after the war broke out. "We've had a lot of cancellations. It's a very difficult situation, the hotels don't work. Usually we are used to full occupancy during this period," said Elias Al-Arja, manager of the Bethlehem Hotel. He added: "People who had booked rooms before the war in Gaza just called to cancel. What is happening in Israel also affects us, there is nothing stable. The war needs to end, and I hope that we will return to normal and that tourists will return."
Christians who live in Bethlehem say they and their families refrained from placing large, extravagant Christmas trees inside their homes. "We didn't put a Christmas tree in the house. We made a tree only for children and without lighting it," another resident told Israel Hayom. "It's out of fear that someone from the outside will come and start accusing us of not caring about the situation of the Palestinians in Gaza. Let them tell us: 'Why are you celebrating while people are dying in Gaza?'"
According to the resident, and other residents, another issue contributing to the worsening economic distress in the city is the non-exit of Palestinian workers to work in Israel. "Workers who until before the war worked in Israel and received salaries are now at home and have no income. You buy only the basic things the family needs and that's it," she explains. "Even those who live outside Bethlehem and were used to receiving high salaries from work in Israel are now in trouble, and this affects the entire economy in the West Bank."
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