Hundreds of thousands of Christians visit Israel every year to visit some of the Bible’s most important sites and follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who is said to have been born in Bethlehem and later crucified and resurrected at what is now the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City.
At Christmas, the Holy Land’s capital city is alive with holiday cheer as thousands come together to enjoy festive markets, concerts, and tree-lighting ceremonies.
Among the most popular events to take place is the walk on the Via Dolorosa (Latin for “Way of Suffering”), which is the route that Jesus is believed to have taken toward his crucifixion. Setting off from the Antonia Fortress and ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Christian pilgrims travel to every one of the 14 Stations of the Cross covering a distance of around 600 meters.
Also attracting large numbers is the Christmas Eve midnight mass at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which is recognized by most Christian denominations as Jesus’ birthplace.
However, away from the twinkling lights of Israel’s capital city Jerusalem, there are signs that this Christmas in the Holy Land may be different from those that came before.
For, the build-up to the Christian holiday this year has seen several disturbing incidents take place that cast a dark shadow over what should be a time of peace, unity and celebration.
One such incident came just over two weeks ago at a church in Beit Sahur, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, when it was attacked by a large mob of Palestinian men who hurled rocks at the building while congregants — including its scout band which was rehearsing for the Christmas season — cowered inside.
قال بقلك شعب عربي فلسطيني واحد؟ آل العتامرة المسلمين يرجمون بالحجارة الكنيسة وكشافتها في بيت ساحور الذين يجهزون أنفسهم لعيد الميلاد. هل شفتم بحياتكن مسيحي بالمحيط العربي تهجم على مسجد في بلدات مسيحية وليش لا؟ لأنه الأمم تختلف بالثقافة والعلم واحترام والاعتراف بالغير. بدهن دولة؟ pic.twitter.com/cBrZPFRNZv
— Shadi khalloul שאדי ח’לול (@shadikhalloul) October 29, 2022
The attack, which reportedly followed another incident in which a Muslim man was accused of harassing young Christian women at the church, sparked widespread condemnation from Christian leaders but resulted in no action against the assailants by the Palestinian Authority.
Wadie Abu Nassar, the adviser and media spokesman of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, described the terrifying assault as “outrageous” and pleaded with the Palestinian Authority to bring the attackers to trial.
As yet, not a single arrest has been made.
Earlier in October, the Christian-owned Bethlehem Hotel was also the target of a violent attack by Muslim extremists after a video of the hotel displaying Jewish symbols, including a Star of David and a menorah, went viral on Palestinian social media.
The unidentified gunman opened fire on the exterior of the building and damaged several rooms and upper floors after the hotel’s owners were accused of “promoting normalization with Israel” by allowing the Jewish items to be placed in their conference room.
A group of armed militants belonging to the US-designated terrorist group, Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, surrounded the hotel following the shooting, with one man warning that the group “frown[ed] upon any act that gives evidence of normalization, compromise, or genuflection.” He ominously added: “Bethlehem will never let anyone put on such a questionable celebration. From here, we send a warning to anyone who is asking himself whether to put on a celebration that normalizes relations with Israel: We will strike with an iron fist.”
Perhaps sensing the threat of further attacks, the hotel’s owner Ilyas al-A’rja claimed the cardboard decorations had been placed there by Filipino tourists without his knowledge. Worryingly, he also told Palestinian media that Jews were “not allowed in this hotel.”
Lastly, the Christian community is still reeling from the arrest of the evangelical pastor Johnny Shahwan, who spent 40 days and nights in prison after being arrested by the Palestinian Authority, which also shut down his ministry, Beit Al-Liqa in Beit Jala.
Shahwan was targeted after a photograph of him meeting former Knesset Member Yehudah Glick was published and he was accused of “promoting normalization with the ‘Zionist entity’ and welcoming an ‘extremist Zionist settler’ into the center.”
The Shahwan incident encapsulates the risk faced by Christians if they are seen even speaking to a Jewish person.
While Christmas in the Holy Land is a magical experience for the thousands of Christians who visit to celebrate, we must pray that no more attacks on this small community occur and call on the Palestinian leadership to start taking the growing threat toward Christians seriously.
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