By Deutsche Welle
Dec 25, 2024, 7:15 PM EST
Christian history assures that Jesus was born in a humble manger in Bethlehem. The reason? There was no longer room in the shelters to receive more people. Two millennia later, the situation is diametrically opposite: almost all of Bethlehem’s hotel capacity, estimated at about five thousand beds, is empty. There are no tourists. And this not only affects accommodation, but also small shops. Ramzi Sabella has one with views of the Church of the Nativity of Jesus and remembers almost one by one all the tourists who have entered his premises this year. “A few weeks ago a person came from Nigeria,” he says.
Pilgrims generally buy cell phone chargers and selfie sticks. Under normal conditions, on these dates I would be very busy serving the public. But in times of war things are totally different. “Now sometimes only some neighbors come to buy the cheapest products. Almost no one has money anymore,” explains Ramzi.
The residents leave
Since armed conflict broke out in the Gaza Strip, the economy of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Bethlehem is located, has collapsed. Tourism is the main source of income, but according to the local hotel association, bed occupancy has fallen from 80 percent before the war to just 3 percent today.
Also in the large Nativity Square the atmosphere is somber. In normal times, Christmas music can be heard here at full volume in the old part of the city. But this year silence reigns. There are no Christmas carols, there is no Christmas tree and they didn’t even put up decorations. Only a few journalists arrived to report on the sad present of the place.
It is now the second year that Christmas here has been overshadowed by war. According to local authorities, almost 500 families have emigrated from Bethlehem in recent months, a considerable number considering that the population is only about 30,000 inhabitants. And these are the official figures. Those who have stayed estimate that many more have applied for temporary tourist visas and are trying to make a living abroad with odd jobs.
“A message for the whole world”
The growing poverty in Bethlehem is only part of the story. Considering the thousands of deaths that Israel has left in the Gaza Strip, no one in Bethlehem is in the mood to celebrate anything. “This year we pray in silence and we want to send a message to the whole world,” explains priest Issa Musleh, of the Greek Orthodox Church. “We strongly condemn what is currently happening in Gaza.”
Also in Bethlehem and the rest of the West Bank the atmosphere has become more tense since the armed conflict broke out. The nearly 50,000 Christians feel this as much as the Muslim majority in the Israeli-occupied region. According to the United Nations, more than 700 Palestinians have died in the West Bank since the fighting began. During the same period, 23 Israelis lost their lives. Especially at Christmas we should all remember that Jesus was born in Bethlehem to call for peace, says Greek Orthodox priest.
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