Christmas decorations in the city of Bethlehem will be removed in light of Israel’s war against Hamas, city officials announced on Tuesday.
“Bethlehem city officials have announced that in memory of the martyrs and in solidarity with the residents of Gaza, they will remove the Christmas decorations that were placed around the city several years ago and remove all festive decorations,” the city council said. announced. Posted on Facebook.
Famous as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, Bethlehem is located in the West Bank and is home to the Church of the Nativity, a UNESCO heritage site marking the birthplace of Christ, among other historic sites. City website. The modern municipality was founded in 1872, according to its website.
“The reason is the general situation in Palestine. People are not very interested in any celebrations, they are sad, angry and upset. Our people in Gaza are being slaughtered and killed in cold blood,” the report said. official told The Jerusalem Post report. “Therefore, it is completely inappropriate to hold such a festival at a time when genocide is occurring in Gaza and attacks are being carried out in the West Bank.” (Related article: “Rekindled…hatred”: Seminary invites anti-Israel speakers to lecture on “Palestinian Christian theology”)
According to the report, the Christian population in the Palestinian territories is decreasing due to immigration. U.S. Department of State’s 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom. There are reportedly around 50,000 Christians living in the West Bank and 1,300 Christians living in Gaza. The Palestinian Authority’s Basic Law defines Islam as the state religion, but supports freedom of religion and prohibits religious discrimination, the report said. However, the report points out that religious tensions not only within Judaism but also between Jews and non-Jews, as well as political tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, are impeding good relations.
Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, has effectively controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, when it violently usurped the Palestinian Authority and imposed extreme interference in daily life, according to the report. Hamas tolerated Gaza’s Christian minority and did not force them to live according to Islamic law, but it often did not investigate or prosecute suspected cases of religious discrimination in Gaza.
