Bethlehem /PNN /
As an expression of Palestinian solidarity across various Palestinian cities, Bethlehem chose to celebrate Christmas in a manner befitting the magnitude of the genocide faced by the Palestinian people.
The ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of over twenty thousand martyrs and left fifty thousand wounded.
The curtain was lifted not on the Christmas tree this year but on the Holy Family Cave, However, this cave takes on a new form and characters in an artistic sculpture conveying religious, national, and artistic messages.
In the model of the cave, the Virgin Mary appears this time as if she is embracing the Christ in a different manner, resembling the mothers of martyrs. Joseph embraces her, offering solace despite the grief and sorrow.
The concept of this cave, placed alongside multilingual panels calling for a ceasefire and an end to the massacre against the Palestinian people, portrays the suffering of the Holy Family. They were the first Palestinian refugee family, enduring oppression, rejection, displacement, and experiencing one of the historical calamities as they fled to Egypt after the birth of the Lord Jesus.
Furthermore, in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Lord Jesus, all aspects of Christmas lights and joy were absent this year.
The city has been under siege since October 7th, with all four entrances closed and stringent measures imposed. In addition to these restrictions, daily incursions by the occupying forces have transformed the city into a ghost town, preventing tourists from reaching it.
Hana Hanania, the Mayor of Bethlehem, stated that this artistic and national work presented by Bethlehem today, with all its churches, squares, and institutions, aims to showcase Palestinian suffering everywhere. Churches, clergy, and civilians in Gaza are being bombarded, and a blockade is enforced in the West Bank, particularly in Bethlehem. He emphasized that the Holy Family in the cave will take on new forms.
Hanania pointed out that there is a message to the world and symbolism in unveiling this cave for the Holy Family. It represents political, religious, and national symbolism, drawing a comparison between what happened over two thousand years ago and what is happening today. Just as Christ was tortured and children were killed by King Herod then, today churches, children, and women are being slaughtered in a clear act of genocide, with the clear message that the perpetrator remains the same.
Adding to this, Hanania mentioned that presenting this cave symbolizes the bombardment of churches, particularly aiming to alert the Christian world and the international community to the war of genocide that Palestinian churches and society are enduring.
According to the Mayor of Bethlehem, this idea portrays the suffering of the Holy Family, the first Palestinian refugee family, which also experienced oppression, rejection, and displacement. They faced their first historical catastrophe when they fled to Egypt after the birth of Lord Jesus.
On her part, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Rula Maayaa said , "Christmas approaches this year, and we find ourselves living in the most challenging and difficult circumstances, a result of what our people in the besieged Gaza Strip and in all cities, villages, and camps of the West Bank and Jerusalem are enduring due to the Israeli continuous aggression against our people.
Maayaa added that the Israeli instruments of oppression, killing, and crime are being executed in front of the eyes of the entire world, constituting one of the worst massacres and crimes against an isolated people striving to defend its existence and remain on its land.
She mentioned that Bethlehem, like other Palestinian cities, is entirely besieged, closed, and sorrowful. No one can enter or exit, and its people are without work and hope due to the disruption and halt of the incoming tourism movement, which is a lifeline for its economy.
Maayaa affirmed, “As we launch this symbolic initiative in Bethlehem today, our people are confident that the message of Christmas, sent by the messenger of peace, will triumph over injustice and tyranny.”
For his part Father Ibrahim Feltz, Deputy Custodian of the Holy Lands said that Bethlehem is sad, and the situation is difficult, not normal. We are in a constant state of mourning, especially during the days of mourning for the martyrs.
The suffering of many children and women is far from normal.
He added :”We have not witnessed such a scene in the square, and we have not seen the city in this condition. Bethlehem has never been sad like this before”.
The artist, Tarek Salsaa, who executed this work, explains that all historical Nativity characters were used to depict the human scene with emotions and messages that cannot fully express the immense destruction and systematic genocide against the Palestinian people by Israeli occupation.
He clarifies that what Palestine is going through today is reminiscent of the years of colonialism, with all its allies throughout the ages and various historical epochs
Regarding the angels suspended around the rubble, they represent nothing but the souls of children, martyrs of repeated massacres throughout history. This begins with the killing of children in Bethlehem by Herod at the birth of Lord Jesus, encompasses all historical massacres by various colonial entities against the Palestinian people and their ancestors, and extends to the current massacres by the occupation in Gaza.
As for the Magi, this year, they won't carry gold, frankincense, and myrrh but a white shroud. The forced shepherd had to vacate the cave, carrying in his hand the Palestinian displacement's symbol (a bag). The entirely destroyed structure mimics the familiar shape of the Nativity Cave.
The roof, representing the "upper scene," takes the form of the geographical map of Gaza, targeted in this instance. The explosion and carving of its roof shape form a star, emitting light inspired by the Star of Bethlehem, conveying a message of great hope accompanied by the light of the Christmas star, despite the profound sorrow and the oppression of the occupation.
