Israeli-Palestinian violence clouds mood as Christians celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem

The mood in Bethlehem has been dampened by a three month-long wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence that shows no signs of relenting.

145-r-19-(Sound of singing, at festivities in Manger Square in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve)-Sound of people singing at festivities in Manger Square in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve.

Israeli authorities said that three Palestinians were killed after they carried out or attempted to carry out attacks against Israelis across the West Bank.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said one incident involved a stabbing of two security guards in the Ariel settlement, which wounded them “moderately”.

Lisette Rossman, a 22-year-old student from Albuquerque, N.M., said the violence made her think twice about visiting a friend studying in Jerusalem.

A Palestinian security officer said Friday the suspects set fire Wednesday to the tree in Zababdeh, a village near Jenin populated mainly by Christians.

“I am proud to say that Israel is one of the few countries in the Middle East, maybe the only country in the Middle East, where Christians are truly free to practice their faith openly, freely, to celebrate Christmas and other Christian holidays”.

Today, tens of thousands of people are expected to crowd into St. Peter’s Square to hear the traditional Christmas Day speech, which in the past has been used to denounce wars, other violence and injustice around the globe.

In recent years, Bethlehem had enjoyed a relative calm and thousands of revelers and pilgrims poured into Manger Square each Christmas.

In a Christmas message on Wednesday, Abbas, a Muslim, said he prayed for the end of occupation “in order to resurrect justice in our holy country”.

As the runners passed through the streets, we were watched by children cheering and waving Palestinian flags from their windows, with the occasional men teasing from the sidewalks: “Forget this crap habibi, yalla come have coffee with us!” Over the last century, Christians had gone from comprising 20 percent of the Palestinian population to just over 1 percent, he said. “The situation between the Palestinians and Israel (is) bad”.

A subdued Christmas adds to an already hard year for Palestinian Christians, who have suffered the full brunt of Israel’s policies, most notably land seizures and, for those in Jerusalem, the revocation of residency rights.

Minister of Tourism Rula Maaya said she too hoped the year’s festivities would offer some relief at a time that has otherwise seemed bleak to many. Among them is Dunia al-Hawareen, who brought her baby daughter to the manger display at the foot of the Bethlehem tree, holding the child up so she could see the baby Jesus.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land delivered a message of peace and love amid the ongoing conflict.