Bethlehem Celebrates 'Festive' Christmas, West Bank Cleared of 'Ugly' Occupiers (Still There)
Yes, Bethlehem will have its lights and carols this year. However, this 'festive' normalcy is the kind only observed when the cameras are rolling and international outrage has momentarily shifted focus. What The New Arab glosses over is that Bethlehem, like the rest of the West Bank, remains under a restrictive military occupation, where checkpoints, land appropriation, and settler violence are
not seasonal decorations but daily realities. According to B'tselem, Israel continues to expand settlements (illegal under international law) forcing Palestinians off their land, often with devastating consequences. A Christmas without bombing is hardly a triumph when freedom of movement and self-determination are still denied. One might wonder at the timing of this 'festive' narrative. Is it to
suggest that the 'war' is over, and with it, the suffering? Or perhaps it’s meant to distract from the daily indignities and the dehumanization that persist, even when the carols play. Christmas in Bethlehem isn't 'festive' when the surrounding walls are still standing, and humanitarian aid to Gaza remains a political bludgeon rather than a right. How many 'peaceful' holidays does it take before
we acknowledge the continuous, systemic violence of occupation?