Still Another Gloomy Christmas in Palestinian Bethlehem

In normal cases, tourists from all over the world flock to Palestinian Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas. But it is not an ordinary year in Jesus' birthplace on occupied West Bank. For the second year in a row, a gloomy atmosphere prevails due to the war in Gaza.

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Still Another Gloomy Christmas in Palestinian Bethlehem
Photo: Matias Delacroix/AP/TT

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The traditional Christmas tree is missing from Krubban's square and the otherwise grand Christmas lighting shines with its absence.

Around the Church of the Nativity, Palestinian security forces and workers can be seen picking up trash.

The message from Bethlehem is always a message of peace and hope, says the city's mayor Anton Salman.

Even these days, we send our message to the world: peace and hope, but we insist that the world must work to put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people, he continues.

The cancelled Christmas celebrations mean a hard blow to the city's economy. Tourism accounts for approximately 70 percent of Bethlehem's income. According to Salman, unemployment is around 50 percent, which can be compared to 30 percent in other parts of the West Bank.

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By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

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