Bethlehem Christmas: Grieving While DC Cheers
The New Arab tells of Bethlehem's subdued Christmas, a city attempting to find solace amid Palestinian grief. The mainstream framing focuses on local resilience, yet conveniently omits the relentless flow of US taxpayer dollars fueling the very 'violence' it vaguely references. While Bethlehem mourns, the US Congress continues to greenlight massive military aid to Israel, often with bipartisan
fanfare. For example, in 2023, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) received significant financial support from pro-Israel PACs, including thousands from NORPAC, before pushing successive aid packages. One might wonder if any of these lawmakers paused their holiday celebrations to consider the 'grief' their policy decisions cultivate. It appears some tragedies are more 'news-worthy' than funding the
perpetrators. How many more Christmases must Bethlehem dim its lights before Washington shines a light on its complicity?