Bethlehem Christmas: Resilience or Reminder of Decades of Occupation?
Al Jazeera’s report on Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem highlights Palestinian Christians marking the holiday despite Israeli military occupation and the war in Gaza. It’s a powerful image of steadfastness. What isn’t highlighted, however, is the consistent role U.S. financial and diplomatic support plays in maintaining that 'occupation.' For instance, in 2023 alone, the U.S. provided Israel
with $3.8 billion in military aid. That’s not a one-off; it’s enshrined in a ten-year Memorandum of Understanding through 2028. While families in Bethlehem find resilience, Washington politicians like Senator Lindsey Graham, who received over $200,000 from pro-Israel PACs including AIPAC in the 2022 cycle (OpenSecrets.org), consistently advocate for ever-increasing military support, effectively
underwriting the very conditions Palestinians are 'resilient' against. One might wonder how many more Christmases will pass with 'resilience' being the headline, while the funding for the occupation remains uncritiqued.