No celebrations in the city of peace

The West Bank city of Bethlehem where Jesus Christ was born, which is one of the holiest places for Christians and Palestinians, doesn't seem different now than any other time of the year despite upcoming Christmas celebrations.

With many Israeli army roadblocks established at its entrances and its almost bare, narrow winding streets, Bethlehem does not look like a city about to celebrate. It looks like any other besieged Palestinian city this chilly winter.

Since the outbreak of the intifada in September 2000, preparations for Christmas and New Year celebrations have been increasingly discreet and modest due to the continuous Israeli army siege imposed on the holy city.

The repeated Israeli army closures, raids and incursions carried out against Bethlehem and surrounding areas during the past three years have severely affected the city on economic and social levels.

"At this time of the year, Bethlehem used to be crowded with people from different areas of the Palestinian territories and tourists from all over the world who came to spend their holidays here," said Ahmad Shaheen, a 24-year-old Palestinian student.

The deteriorating political and economic situation is mirrored in the city's streets where the usual Christmas trees, lights and decorations have completely disappeared and have been restricted to a single Christmas tree in the yard of the Church of Nativity.

"We used to look forward to each Christmas in order to enjoy the decorations, lights and fireworks that decorated the whole city. This year, Christmas seems to be different and sad too," said Nadine Abdullah, a 45-year-old Palestinian resident, mother of four.

The modest Christmas decorations were also due to the serious reduction in the celebration's budget incurred because of the small number of tourists who were able to visit the city this year.

The mayor of Bethlehem, Hanna Nasser, said that the city's economy depends for the most part on tourism and the annual pilgrimage, but both have withered away due to Israeli practices and the precarious security situation.

Nasser said that the number of tourists who came to Bethlehem in November dropped to 5,000 from the 12,000 tourists and pilgrims who used to visit the holy city before the outbreak of the intifada.

"The different hotels of the city used to be completely full at this time of the year and on Christmas Eve, but this year many of them are still vacant and the current situation doesn't indicate any improvements," he said.

The mayor added, "This year's Christmas will be celebrated only by the midnight mass."

Besides the serious losses inflicted in the tourism sector, the past three years of conflicts have also escalated unemployment, which has hit 60 percent of the city's population due to Israeli sanctions imposed on the residents' movements.

Furthermore, Israel has confiscated many Palestinian-owned lands located on the edges of the city for the construction of the separation wall, which suffocates the city and is expected to decrease job opportunities. The Israeli government has insisted the "fence" is being built for reasons of security.

"The separation wall has absorbed many of Bethlehem's lands; another 175 Palestinian families will be completely alienated from the city because of this wall," Nasser said.

The residents of Bethlehem also seemed less enthusiastic about this year's holidays given the toll of unemployment, which has obliged them to limit their Christmas expenses.

"All the residents of Bethlehem celebrate Christmas -- whether they are Muslims or Christians -- and many of them won't be able to afford Christmas trees or gifts, but we will celebrate it anyway. It's the least we can do," said Nadine.

In Gaza, about 3,000 Christians, who represent a minority among 1.5 million Palestinians, have also decided to limit their Christmas and New Year celebrations to only traditional services in Gaza's sole Latin Church.

The church's Bishop Emanuel Musalam told United Press International that the current situation and the sadness that dominates the Palestinian territories have compelled Gaza Christians not to celebrate Christmas and New Year.

(With reporting by Lynda Wafi in Bethlehem and Saud Abu Ramadan in Gaza)

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