In the famous city of the West Bank, Christmas celebrations resume after several years marked by the pandemic and then by war. Despite the restrictions, the separation wall, closures, declining tourism, and concerns for Gaza, residents and officials agree to make these festivities a symbol of solidarity and resilience.
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In Bethlehem, Christmas reignites the light of hope
22-med – December 2025
• Bethlehem revives Christmas celebrations despite restrictions, war, and the collapse of tourism.
• Residents and authorities transform the holiday into a message of peace, solidarity, and resilience for Palestine.
#bethlehem #palestine #christmas #tourism #religion #solidarity #gaza #mediterranean
Restoring Christmas festivities carries a message of hope. As the songs resonate once again, residents gather in Manger Square around the lights of the tree that has been erected again. The return of small groups of visitors, still far from the crowds of the past, nonetheless brings a rare breath of fresh air after years of uncertainty. This timid resurgence does not erase the pressures imposed by the separation wall, nor the constant threat of isolation and the limitations on the number of pilgrims and tourists in Bethlehem. But it affirms the will to preserve a daily life of joy and faith, and to show the world that this symbolic city never ceases to carry the light of Christmas.
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