Bethlehem Lights Up; Media Ignores Ongoing Siege
Al-Monitor enthusiastically reports on Bethlehem's Christmas tree lighting, signaling a hopeful return to holiday cheer after two years of 'war in Gaza.' (As if the fighting ended, rather than just shifting forms of oppression.) This cheerful framing glosses over the fact that Bethlehem, like much of the West Bank, remains under severe military occupation, land annexations continue, and residents
face daily restrictions on movement and economic strangulation. The 'precarious ceasefire' Al-Monitor mentions is a euphemism for an ongoing siege and humanitarian catastrophe, with no end in sight for Gaza's 2.3 million people. While media outlets spotlight a decorated tree, they ignore the systemic policies that have choked the West Bank for decades, making genuine 'hope' a cruel joke. One might
wonder how many more festive anecdotes will be trotted out to distract from the daily humiliation and terror Palestinians endure, long after the Christmas lights dim. Perhaps we should ask if the 'normalcy' is simply the ability to put up a tree while still being surrounded by walls, checkpoints, and settlements – a truly 'holy land' experience.