Palestine Celebrates Christmas, Amidst a 'Very Peaceful' Occupation
"Christmas quietly returns to Palestine," reads The New Arab, a headline that politely glosses over the fact that Christmas never 'left' Palestine, even as Palestinian Christians have been steadily driven out by policies of the Israeli government. The article hints at the "ruins of war" and "occupation," yet neglects to detail the very specific mechanisms of this displacement: the 2007 siege on
Gaza, the expansion of illegal West Bank settlements, or the methodical revocation of residency permits for Palestinian Jerusalemites. While heartwarming stories of resilience emerge, one must ask: Is 'quietly returns' really the right phrasing when the total Palestinian population has been systematically diminished, and when Bethlehem itself is encircled by a separation wall often dubbed an
'apartheid wall' by critics? The narrative conveniently sidelines how this 'quiet return' unfolds after the forced displacement of Christian families from areas like Beit Jala for settlement expansion, or through checkpoints that turn a 15-minute drive into an hours-long ordeal for worshippers. This isn't a 'return'; it's a defiant whisper against a backdrop of ongoing ethnic cleansing.