OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
Jida Khamishta, a resident of Jerusalem, is glued to the television screen around the clock, following the news of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip for the past two and a half months. She rejects the idea of preparing for the joyful Christmas season, which she eagerly awaits every year.
Despite the fact that decorating the Christmas tree is considered one of the most joyous traditions of the season, Khamishta did not put up a tree in her home. According to her, Christians worldwide, and particularly Palestinian Christians, usually look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem and participating in prayers.
However, this year, the celebrations have faded away, and the preparations have disappeared. Khamishta notes that the square in front of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was not adorned with a Christmas tree and decorations as usually done on this time of the year. She also mentions the absence of Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land during this time. Khamishta states, “Our country is sad on the occasion of Christ’s birth this year, and our people are facing massacres. How can anyone go through the rituals as usual? My only wish is for peace to be achieved, and for us to live in freedom and security like the rest of the world, with our children enjoying tranquility and safety.”
Christmas festivities canceled
Like this lady, Christians in Jerusalem, in general, and in the Old City in particular, did not wake up on Sunday, December 24th, to the sound of the scout parade, which is usually organized before the departure of the Patriarch’s procession leading the Christmas Mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem outside the Latin Patriarchate in the Old City of Jerusalem.
On the occasion of Christmas, scout groups in Jerusalem usually organize two main parades. The first coincides with the lighting of the Christmas tree inside the Old City, specifically near the ‘New Gate,’ while the other is held on the morning of December 24th every year.
Elias Habbash, the leader of the Arab Catholic Scouts group, told Al Jazeera that this scout group, consisting of 250 members, both children and adults, did not receive its special training for Christmas celebrations for the first time in many years.
“At this time of the year, we would be under intense pressure, training daily for long hours, but all of that has disappeared this year, and it doesn’t hurt us as much as the situation the country is going through, which has completely changed everything,” Habbash added.
He emphasized that the Arab Catholic Scouts, based in the Old City of Jerusalem, continue their scouting and volunteer activities, but they have suspended all their festive and entertainment activities since October 7th.
Not only has the sound of scout training faded in Jerusalem, but also the sound of Christmas carols echoing from the balconies of Christians’ homes at this time of the year. It has been reduced to a single hymn: “On Christmas night, hatred disappears… On Christmas night, the earth blossoms… On Christmas night, war is buried… On Christmas night, love sprouts.”
However, the war has not been buried yet, and its noise has overshadowed every sound for weeks. Therefore, this year, according to Bishop Suheil Dawani, the former head of the Church Council of the Evangelical Episcopal Church in Jerusalem, the celebration will be limited to religious rituals only.
In his statement to Al Jazeera, Dawani affirmed that this year’s prayers will be for all the suffering and those facing killing and violence. He added that the message of Christmas is always a message of love and peace, and the tongues of believers in churches will resonate with hymns and meditations for that purpose.
Youssef Daher, the coordinator of the World Council of Churches’ office in Jerusalem, stated that about 9,000 Christians in Jerusalem, half of whom reside in the Old City, did not rejoice in the Christmas festivities amid the prevailing sadness in the country. Just as these Christians did not celebrate, tourists did not flock to the cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem to enjoy the festive atmosphere and the spirituality that dominates the Midnight Mass of this holiday, according to Daher.
Bethlehem
Bethlehem, the destination of Palestinian Christians at this time of the year, has been closed, like all the cities in the West Bank, since the outbreak of the war. All its entrances were closed except for one, where Palestinians spend long hours trying to pass through.
The “Committee for Justice and Peace” in the Directory of The Catholic Church in The Holy Land issued a Christmas message for this year, stating, “We Christians feel solidarity with all those suffering in the war. Christmas remains a time for prayer for the tormented, reflecting on the deep meaning of the Christmas.”
The message continued, “This year, we walk toward the manger (in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem) to pray and seek the joy promised to us by God. We are a people of hope, placing our trust in God and in the birth of the Prince of Peace. We are certain that we are not and will never be alone, and we know that God has chosen our land to dispel our darkness.” The Christmas message concluded, “We ask all those celebrating Christmas worldwide to pray with us. Pray for peace in Bethlehem, in Gaza, and in all the Holy Land. Let us pray together for the liberation of all prisoners and for a permanent ceasefire.”
After about two weeks, the curtain will fall on this year’s Christmas celebrations, and Christians wonder whether it will also bring an end to the ongoing war in Gaza and to the violations faced by Christians in Jerusalem, particularly religious figures targeted by Jewish settlers.
