Christmas Carol: "Not the brightest candle on the menorah" meets "not the brightest lightbulb on the Christmas tree
Jerusalem 5.55am
Bethlehem is in mourning. There will be no merriment to celebrate Christmas in the place where Jesus Christ was born 20 centuries ago, even on Sunday night. In Indonesia, Christian leaders have advised their congregations to pray for the nation’s safety as it gears up to hold the elections on Feb. 14, 2024. Across the Holy Land, Christmas festivities have been put on hold. There are 182,000 Christians in Israel, 50,000 in the West Bank and Jerusalem and 1,300 in Gaza, according to the United States Department of State. Most are Palestinians.
Via Plestia Bosbos Alaqad. As Muslim, she begs to the world hours before Christmas
Bethlehem is bracing for a subdued Christmas, without the festive lights and customary Christmas tree towering over Manger Square, the Associated Press reported, after officials in Jesus' birthplace decided to forgo the celebrations due to the Israel-Hamas war. The annual Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, which is shared among Armenian, Catholic and Orthodox denominations, are a major boon for a city where tourism accounts for 70 percent of its annual income. But its streets are empty this holiday season. "Not the brightest candle on the menorah" meets "not the brightest lightbulb on the Christmas tree."
In Bethlehem, the mayor and church leaders said they wanted to demonstrate their solidarity with the plight of Palestinians in Gaza. They said religious ceremonies, including Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity, would be held with a special emphasis on prayers for peace.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu retaliated against Hamas’ attacks on Oct. 7 by ordering his troops to not only punish the Islamic militant group, but also launch what is essentially a genocidal campaign against the population of Gaza. Palestinians who live in the occupied West Bank have also fallen victim to this military operation.
Husan Zomlot, Palestinian Ambassador for UK
On Christmas Eve, people across the globe will pray for peace to return to Gaza. It is very clear that the Israeli government does not care about world condemnation, and it will continue its bombardment of Gaza until it is satisfied. This indifference was evident on Wednesday, when Israeli forces shot dead a 16-year-old Palestinian, Mahmoud Muhammad Issa Zaoul, near Bethlehem.
Close to 28,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 54,000 wounded during Israel's air and ground offensive against Hamas, according to Gaza’s official data. More than 85 percent of the territory's 2.3 million people have been displaced and all its hospitals have been destroyed by Israeli strikes. Indonesian Christians have joined their brethren across the globe in praying for an immediate end to the horror in Gaza.
The international community is stunned, but cannot do much to stop the indiscriminate killing because the United States is blindly defending its most important Gulf ally, Israel. Christmas is a celebration of peace on earth.
