Jesus, according to the Christian Christmas story, was born in a humble stable in Bethlehem. There was no room for his mother in the Bethlehem lodgings.
Today, two millennia later, the situation is completely different – almost all 5.000 hotel rooms in the city are empty. There is a lack of tourists.
This affects not only hotels but also local shops. Ramzi Sabela has a small shop in the immediate vicinity of the Church of the Nativity of Christ - and he can almost remember every tourist who visited his shop this year. "A few weeks ago, there was a guest from Nigeria," says the owner of the shop.
Ramsay usually sells mobile phone chargers and selfie sticks to pilgrims from all over the world. Especially at Christmas he would have a lot of work - under normal circumstances. In times of war, everything is different.
Photo: AP/Nasser NasseA souvenir shop displays religious statues and figurines near the Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, ahead of Christmas in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024
"Now only a few locals visit - and they mostly buy the cheapest products." "They don't have any money anymore either," explains Ramsey.
Residents leave Bethlehem
Since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip, the economy in the West Bank - the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel - has experienced a serious decline. Bethlehem is also there.
Tourism has been the main source of income for the city for decades. However, according to the data of the local association of hoteliers, occupancy of accommodation facilities has dropped from around 80 percent before the war to only three percent today.
Even on the large Manger Square in front of the Church of the Nativity, the atmosphere is not any brighter. Loud Christmas music is usually heard from there, filling the entire old part of Bethlehem. This year there is silence: no Christmas carols, no Christmas tree, no decorations. There are only a few journalists in the square who report on the sad events.
Photo: AP/Matias DelacroixThe sun rises over the hilltop houses of the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24, 2024.
This is the second year in a row that Christmas in Bethlehem is celebrated in the shadow of war. According to local authorities, in the last few months almost 500 families have left Bethlehem - which is a significant number considering that the city has only about thirty thousand inhabitants.
And those are only official figures. Locals say that many others, using temporary tourist visas, left and are now trying to make ends meet abroad by doing odd jobs.
"A message to the whole world"
Increasing poverty is only one side of the story. Considering the thousands of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip, nobody here is in the mood to celebrate anyway.
"This year we are praying in silence - and we want to send a message to the whole world," explains priest Isa Musleh from the Greek Orthodox Church. "We deeply condemn what is happening in Gaza right now."
And in Bethlehem, like the rest of the West Bank, the atmosphere has become increasingly tense since the beginning of the war. About 50.000 Christians, as well as the Muslim majority, feel the same way.
According to the United Nations, more than 700 Palestinians and 23 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank since the beginning of the war.
Photo: AP/Mahmoud IlleanWorkers tend to the steps of the Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, ahead of Christmas in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.
"Right now, at Christmas, everyone should remember that Jesus was born in Bethlehem to call people to peace," says the priest.
The desire for peaceful coexistence
In these circumstances, it is more difficult than ever for Christians in the region to believe in the message of hope that Christmas brings.
However, the people of Bethlehem have long shown that peaceful coexistence is possible, according to waiter Nadim. He sadly observes the events in front of the church from a distance - from his empty cafe on a nearby hill.
Although he is Muslim, Nadim attends a Christian university. Before the war, he often went to Israel, only a few kilometers away, where he had many Jewish friends. "Actually we all want the same thing," says Nadim. A simple life in peace.
