Bethlehem's Christmas Tree: A Symbol of Palestinian Resilience Amid Ongoing Colonial Violence

After two years of colonial violence and systematic oppression, the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem illuminated its Christmas tree on Saturday, marking a powerful act of Palestinian resistance and community resilience in the face of ongoing Israeli occupation.

The ceremony at Manger Square, adjacent to the Church of the Nativity, represents more than festive celebration. It stands as a testament to Palestinian determination to maintain cultural traditions despite living under apartheid conditions and enduring relentless state violence.

Community Resistance Through Cultural Expression

"It's like a symbol for resilience," shared 27-year-old Abeer Shtaya, who traveled 100 kilometers from Al-Zaytoonah University of Science and Technology in Salfit with fellow students. Their journey exemplifies how marginalized communities create solidarity networks to preserve cultural identity under occupation.

The gathering drew thousands of Palestinians, including Christians and Muslims, alongside international visitors who witnessed this act of collective resistance. Families filled balconies and rooftops, reclaiming public space in a city where freedom of movement remains severely restricted by military checkpoints and colonial infrastructure.

Economic Violence and Tourism Apartheid

The ceremony highlights the devastating economic impact of Israel's siege on Palestinian communities. Bethlehem's tourism-dependent economy has suffered catastrophic losses, with local business owner Mike Shahen noting the situation is "worse than COVID."

This economic warfare forms part of broader colonial strategies designed to dispossess Palestinian communities of their livelihoods and force displacement from ancestral lands. The restriction of pilgrimage tourism represents cultural erasure alongside economic strangulation.

Intersectional Solidarity and International Complicity

International visitors like Liyu Lu, who traveled from northern Israel, and Christian businessman Gary Lau demonstrate how people from diverse backgrounds can witness Palestinian resilience firsthand. However, their ability to move freely contrasts sharply with Palestinians' restricted mobility under military occupation.

Pilgrimage organizer Fabien Safar's cautious optimism about tourism recovery in 2027 underscores how colonial violence disrupts not only Palestinian lives but international religious and cultural exchange. This disruption serves the occupying power's interests in isolating Palestinian communities from global solidarity networks.

Ongoing Colonial Violence

The article's reference to increased violence in the West Bank since October 2023 reflects escalating settler colonial aggression. Israeli military checkpoints, land seizures, and systematic harassment of Palestinian communities intensify daily, creating conditions designed to make Palestinian life unbearable.

The fragile ceasefire mentioned offers little hope for Palestinian liberation, as it fails to address root causes of colonial oppression or guarantee Palestinian self-determination and return of refugees.

Reclaiming Narrative and Space

Saturday's celebration represents Palestinian communities asserting their right to exist, celebrate, and maintain cultural traditions despite systematic attempts at erasure. The Christmas tree becomes a symbol of sumud (steadfastness), a cornerstone of Palestinian resistance philosophy.

This act of cultural preservation challenges colonial narratives that seek to erase Palestinian presence from their ancestral lands, particularly in cities with deep historical and religious significance like Bethlehem.

As international solidarity movements continue growing, events like Bethlehem's Christmas celebration remind global audiences that Palestinian communities persist, resist, and maintain hope for liberation despite facing one of the world's longest-running colonial occupations.