Bethlehem celebrates a silent Christmas to give joy to a few pilgrims By Reuters

By Stephen Farrell

BETHLEM (Reuters) – Bethlehem bells rang under the gray sky on Christmas morning, their cakes or shutters dark green, no one opened it through streets that looked like an Advent calendar.

Palestinian city shopkeepers and hotel owners reported much smaller businesses than years before the closure of the Coronavirus shutdown prevented the arrival of wealthy foreign tourists, destroying the economy of Jesus ’traditional homeland.

In Manger Square, hundreds of Christians — most of whom live, work, or study in Israel and the West Bank — gathered near the tree and cradle outside to sing songs and bring joy to the outside of the native church.

But Joseph Giacaman, around the square where his family has been selling souvenirs for a century, said the business was about 2% of the pre-pandemic years. “We were closed until three weeks ago. I sold maybe two or three olive tree cribs. In normal years, we used to sell three or four a year, ”he said.

The back streets were almost empty.

Star Street has been revamped in recent years with the aim of attracting crowds, but like here, the Omicron variant frustrated those expectations in November, when Israel began closing its borders.

‘OPEN YOUR HEART TO HOPE’

In early December, Bethlehem Mayor Anton Salman sought to boost morale by walking the cobbled streets at night, shaking hands with those selling hot wine and olive wood carvings. But the opening of the market could not continue its momentum without selling out aspects of foreign coaches.

The largest hotel in Bethlehem, the Jacir Palace, was closed and locked.

And at the nearby Nativity Hotel, receptionist Victor Zeidan said he was working a 12-hour shift at a lower wage to check on the rare working day of Palestinian Christian and Filipino caretakers who briefly increased their occupancy.

“I haven’t celebrated this year either, I didn’t get much work out before, so now I’m taking advantage of the opportunity,” he said.

Jerise Qumsieh told Palestinian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry Reuters that this year was better than the last, with at least a few home visitors compared to the drastic cuts in 2020, but that foreign tourism was “zero”.

However, in the early hours of Saturday, Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa of Jerusalem called for a reduced midnight congregation to seek hope.

“In this time of health and political turmoil, many voices are heard in families: some weaken trust, lose hope, lose love; others, however, are happier,” he said.

“We must seek and find the voice that leads us to Jesus and salvation, which opens our hearts to hope.”