Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from Jalal Bwaitel and Melanie Lidman at The Associated Press is the basis of this AI-assisted article.
Christmas celebrations have returned to Bethlehem after two years of subdued observances, bringing renewed hope and economic relief to the city following a ceasefire in Gaza that began in October.
Some key facts:
• The midnight Mass at Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity will feature the traditional hymn “The Night of Christmas” with lyrics stating “war is buried” and “love is born.”
• Bethlehem’s unemployment rate surged from 14% to 65% during the Gaza war, devastating the city’s tourism-dependent economy.
• Approximately 80% of Bethlehem’s Muslim-majority population depends on tourism-related businesses for their livelihood.
• Around 4,000 people have left Bethlehem in search of work during the war, contributing to the declining Christian population in the region.
• Christians now account for less than 2% of the West Bank’s roughly 3 million residents, and their numbers continue to shrink.
• Manger Square’s Christmas tree was lit for the first time in two years this month, drawing crowds to the festive market and celebrations.
• Despite the ceasefire, tensions remain high in the West Bank with frequent Israeli military raids and settler attacks reaching their highest levels since 2006.
• In previous years, churches created protest Nativity scenes depicting the infant Jesus surrounded by rubble and barbed wire.
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
