‘We may face extinction’: Bethlehem’s clergy sound alarm on exodus and extremism amid ongoing war

[duluxe]

Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ, marked a subdued Christmas, overshadowed by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the devastating local economy. For the second consecutive year, the city’s Christian community faced a bleak holiday season, with rising fears about the survival of one of the world’s oldest Christian populations.

Friar Ibrahim Faltas, Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, told The Media Line, “This has become an open-air prison. On top of the conflict in Gaza, people here have been struggling for 15 months without income, with restricted mobility, and no change in sight.”

The streets of Bethlehem reflected this despair. Many shops were closed, no festive decorations were present, and a few young children persistently distributed candies and small souvenirs to passersby with the goal of earning some money.


Groups of locals walked slowly toward Manger Square in front of the Church of the Nativity. Despite the lack of tourism, the square looked packed, given the huge number of foreign press and security forces on every corner.

Palestinian scouts marched silently through the streets at noon, departing from the usual raucous brass band procession. At the end of the march, Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa addressed the crowd beside a picture of two Gazan children.

Palestinian scouts march silently through the streets of Bethlehem, carrying flags, Dec. 24, 2024. (credit: Giorgia Valente/The Media Line)
“Despite the current suffering you are facing on every front, we stand with you. Do not surrender; do not be afraid because you are the light in this darkness. This has to be the last Christmas like this,” he declared.

Munther Isaac, senior pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christian Church in Bethlehem, spoke of the importance of resilience. “One year ago, I had the idea to represent the ‘Christ in the rubble’ to show the suffering Palestinians in Gaza have been enduring. This sent a message to the world that Christmas is much more than a recurrence; it is a way to remember who still lives here under oppression and their fight for survival,” he said to The Media Line.