Bethlehem Christmas tree lit up for first time since Gaza war

BETHLEHEM, Palestinian Territories – Christmas cheer returned to the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ on Dec 6 as Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank, lit up a tree for the first time since the war in Gaza began over two years ago.

Covered in red and gold baubles, the Christmas tree standing metres away from the Church of the Nativity on Manger Square has become a symbol of hope.

At the end of a two-hour ceremony, the tree was illuminated to cheers, its yellow lights twinkling and a bright red star on top shining against the clouded night sky irradiated by a luminescent, almost full moon.

It is the first time the city has held the usual celebrations since the outbreak of the war in Gaza following

Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023

.

“It’s like a symbol for resilience,” said 27-year-old Abeer Shtaya, who works at Al-Zaytoonah University of Science and Technology in Salfit in the West Bank.

She had travelled 100km with a group of the university’s students because “we want to celebrate and be with our brothers and sisters in Bethlehem to enjoy this day”.

“It’s a message for the world that it’s calm,” Mr Mike Shahen, 43, said at his ceramic store on the square, after a handful of visitors came in for purchases.

Thousands of people attended, including Christians and Muslims and many who travelled from Palestinian territories and Israel – some from even further afield – to enjoy the return of the festive spirit.

Nuns could be seen watching from one roof, while many families, including small children, filled balconies and roofs to catch a glimpse of the tree lit up.

Sounds of laughter filled the air as many could not help but smile despite moments of rain.

“This event didn’t happen for the last two years because of the war and it’s quite emotional after two years of nothing but war and death,” said 50-year-old Lu Liyu, who had travelled from northern Israel, close to the border with Lebanon.

Originally from China but now living in Israel for decades, she was with a group including Mr Gary Lau, a travelling businessman and Christian staying in Jerusalem for the past couple of months.

“Being here, with the festivities, is something very nice and special,” Mr Lau, 51, said, adding that he was “taking in the atmosphere”.

For the past two years, Bethlehem has celebrated Christmas in a more sombre manner, with no major public festivities.

Tentative return

Christian pilgrims, especially from Asia, South America and Eastern Europe, have slowly returned in the past few months however.

Mr Fabien Safar, guide and director of Terra Dei, which organises pilgrimages to the Holy Land, said a few small groups would come for Christmas in 2025, and he already saw some bookings for 2026. He expects a real recovery in 2027, but “this obviously depends on how the situation evolves” in Gaza and Lebanon.

Despite

a November 2024 ceasefire

that was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and militant group Hezbollah, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon.

Pilgrims “remain afraid because there’s no official end to the war” in Gaza, Mr Safar said, adding they were also worried about the situation in Lebanon.

‘Worse than Covid-19’

This has all taken a toll on Bethlehem, which had only just cheered the return of tourists in 2022 after the Covid-19 pandemic, before the war in Gaza broke out.

Bethlehem’s economy relies almost completely on tourism.

“Covid was bad but nothing like the last two years,” said Mr Shahen from the ceramic store.

Many visitors from Israel and the Palestinian territories spent hours on the road to reach Bethlehem, including musician Ms Lu.

She woke up at 6am to get a bus at 7am with a large group. They arrived at 12.30pm, she said, without any trouble.

War isn’t the only reason for Bethlehem’s woes.

Since the 2023 Hamas attack, it is more difficult to travel around the West Bank with long queues on the roads with Israeli military checkpoints.

Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has also surged since the Gaza war. It has not stopped despite the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas that began this October. AFP