This year, Bethlehem will not celebrate Christmas.
When thousands of Palestinians are being killed by Israeli bombs every day in Gaza, just a few kilometers away, Bshara Nassar believes it’s difficult to honor the Prince of Peace.
Nassar was born in Bethlehem, a Palestinian hamlet just over five kilometers from Jerusalem, just like Jesus. To honor the site of Christ’s birth, thousands of Christians travel to Manger Square to visit the Church of the Nativity.
Since Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and bombs began to rain on Gaza, far fewer have traveled.
Father and son Zaher and Bshara Nassar, who were born in Bethlehem, spoke on Sunday, December 1 at Harrisburg’s Grace United Methodist Church. They claim that due of the conflict in Gaza, Palestinian Christians will not celebrate Christmas near the location of Jesus’ birth this year.Davis, Joyce M.
Nassar now calls Mechanicsburg home. On the first Sunday of Advent, he and his father, Daher, worshipped at Harrisburg’s historic Grace United Methodist Church on State Street. They expressed their sorrow at the cruelty of the Middle East conflict and the thousands of innocent men, women, and children it has caused.
An estimated 45,000 Christians lived in the West Bank and Jerusalem before to the start of the conflict last year, and an additional 1,500 lived in Gaza. There are probably a lot less now.
According to official figures, Israel’s attacks on Gaza have killed over 45,000 Palestinians, Bshara Nassar claimed. According to him, there are an estimated 200,000 Palestinians buried beneath the debris.
For this reason, Bethlehem will not be celebrating Christmas this year.
At Grace United Methodist Church, Palestinians discuss the Middle East crisis.
Because of what they see to be the continuous genocide against the Palestinian people, Bshara Nassar and his father have every reason to be depressed and to hold all Israelis accountable. Additionally, they worry that the Israeli government is determined to seize their family’s farmland in order to construct new settlements.
However, the sentiments the Nassars conveyed to Grace were not ones of hopelessness and resentment. In the country that Christians, Muslims, and Jews consider sacred, they brought hope, optimism, and faith in a future of peace.
Nassar emphasized his cause for optimism and hope by sharing a moving story.
On Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24, 2023, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, a nativity scene decorated to honor the fatalities in Gaza is on display in Manger Square, next to the Nativity Church, which is generally thought to be the birthplace of Jesus.Mahmoud Illean/AP Photo
The Tent of Nations, his family’s farm on the hilltops of Bethlehem, welcomes visitors from all over the world to learn about the local horticulture and environment. However, his family’s land ownership is in jeopardy.
According to Zaher, a gang of Israeli settlers arrived at his farm and felled apple and olive tree groves in an attempt to claim the area as unusable and desolate. However, they haven’t made the Nassar family quit up yet. Indeed, they received assistance from other Israelis. Despite attempts by the government to stop them, Israelis in neighboring settlements supported the Nassar family and even assisted them in replanting the destroyed trees.
Bshara and his father have found hope in these individuals. They claim there are several examples of courageous Israelis and Palestinians extending their hands of love and peace while fighting a war and refusing to give in to hatred.
On Monday, November 23, 2020, a Palestinian seller stands in front of his store close to the Church of the Nativity, which is generally thought to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. At this time of year, Bethlehem, which is typically crowded with visitors from all over the world, is more like a ghost town, with hotels, eateries, and gift stores closed due to the pandemic. (Photo by Majdi Mohammed for AP)
We cannot be made to hate by anyone. We’re not going to be adversaries. When the BBC reported on the possibility of settlers stealing the Nassars’ land, Zaher’s sister Amal Nassar told them that. The family’s generations-long dedication to non-violence is reflected in the words, which are preserved under a sign at the Nassar farm’s entrance.
Soon, Zaher Nassar will go back to his Bethlehem farm to carry on his nonviolent fight to save the land where his grandfather and father once resided.
Although Bshara has relocated to Central Pennsylvania, he still has Palestinian origins. In 2019, he established the Museum of the Palestinian People in Washington, D.C., as part of his mission to educate Americans about the history and culture of his people.
Bshara claims that other people have been telling the Palestinian people’s story for decades. However, it is no longer the case. The goal of the museum located at 1900 18th St NW, Washington, is to celebrate and preserve Palestinian art, history, and culture.
This Christmas, Bethlehem is in grief. In Gaza, people are going hungry. Bombs continue to fall. However, a lot of decent people just won’t hate.
PennLive’s Outreach & Opinion Editor is Joyce M. Davis. You can follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @byjoycedavis and Facebook.
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