Bethlehem Lights Christmas Tree After Two-Year Pause As Israel Wages Genocidal War on Gaza

Bethlehem Christmas lighting

Bethlehem lit its Christmas tree for the first time since the start of Israel’s assault in Gaza, marking the end of a two-year pause in public celebrations at Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. For the first time since the Gaza war Palestinians of both faiths gathered around a large decorated tree in Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity was lit, which organizers and officials described as a rare sign of hope amid severe economic hardship. Reports said the ceremony was subdued, held without fireworks or large performances and attended by small family groups, but it was welcomed by local businesses and returning pilgrims as a step toward recovery.

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Bethlehem tourism crisis

The resumption came against a collapsed tourism sector and sharp economic pain. Bethlehem's tourism sector has collapsed since the Gaza war, leaving restaurants, souvenir shops and tour guides with sharply reduced income and far fewer visitors. Local officials warned that the loss of pilgrims and cancellation of festivities devastated livelihoods.

Mayor Maher Kanawati said the halt in festivities and loss of tourism devastated the local economy, summing it up as "no Christmas, no work". Businesses and tour guides stressed that returning visitors are vital to the city's recovery.

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West Bank measures and impact

The local context in the West Bank includes explicit Israeli measures that have deepened Palestinian hardship. BBC reports that since October 2023 Israel has barred tens of thousands of West Bank workers from entering Israel and frozen about $1.76 billion in Palestinian tax revenues.

Israel cited Palestinian Authority payments to prisoners, and withholding those funds has left the Palestinian Authority able only to make partial public salary payments. Al Jazeera and regional reporting place the tree-lighting squarely against 'continued Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank' and an 'assault in Gaza,' linking the ceremony to a broader backdrop of Israeli military action and restrictions.

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Bethlehem celebration tensions

The mood at Bethlehem's celebrations was cautious and contested, as organizers avoided fireworks and large performances and held a modest ceremony that left many relieved the tradition had returned but saddened by the circumstances. Local pilgrims lit candles at the Nativity grotto and prayed for peace and the return of tourists. Critics and some residents said public festivities were controversial because many have relatives in Gaza and suffering there continues.

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Source language and labels

None of the provided source snippets use the term 'genocide'. They instead describe Israel's actions using terms such as 'assault in Gaza,' 'the Gaza war,' and 'continued Israeli attacks on Palestinians'. The sources also detail policies like barring workers and freezing tax revenues.

Therefore, based strictly on these sources, I cannot label the campaign as 'genocide' unless a source explicitly uses that term. The sources do, however, consistently document severe Israeli military action and policies that have inflicted deep humanitarian and economic harm on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

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