Under the shadow of war in Gaza, Jesus’ traditional birthplace is gearing up for a subdued Christmas... "More than 18,700 Palestinians have been killed and more than 50,000 wounded during Israel’s blistering air and ground offensive against Gaza"

Shibley Telhami

@ShibleyTelhami

 

Cancellation of Christmas festivities, which typically draw thousands of visitors, is a severe blow to Bethlehem's tourism-dependent economy: “The economy is crashing. But if we compare it with what’s happening to our people and Gaza, it’s nothing.”

Manger Square Bethlehem Palestine

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem is gearing up for a subdued Christmas, without the festive lights and customary Christmas tree towering over Manger Square, after officials in Jesus’ traditional birthplace decided to forgo celebrations due to the Israel-Hamas war.

The cancellation of Christmas festivities, which typically draw thousands of visitors, is a severe blow to the town’s tourism-dependent economy. But joyous revelry is untenable at a time of immense suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, said Mayor Hana Haniyeh.

“The economy is crashing,” Haniyeh told The Associated Press on Friday. “But if we compare it with what’s happening to our people and Gaza, it’s nothing.”

More than 18,700 Palestinians have been killed and more than 50,000 wounded during Israel’s blistering air and ground offensive against Gaza’s Hamas rulers, according to health officials there, while some 85% of the territory’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced. The war was triggered by Hamas’ deadly assault Oct. 7 on southern Israel"  ... READ MORE

 https://apnews.com/article/bethlehem-west-bank-israel-hamas-war-a42bbd967c27a68f71f8aace59387963

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