As I first arrived in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, I couldn’t help but feel trapped by the gigantic separation wall. Now, every time that I walk through the dreaded checkpoint cutting Bethlehem off from Jerusalem, I feel intimidated by the look of disgust and inhumanity on the faces of many Israeli soldiers that I encounter. Still, my experiences don’t compare to the horrific ordeals that many Palestinians go through on a daily basis at the checkpoints.
Even as someone who doesn’t currently possess the deepest connection to Christianity or any other religion, I acknowledge that there’s something special about the little town of Bethlehem. When visiting the Church of the Nativity, it’s impossible not to be overcome by awe. As the alleged birthplace of Jesus Christ, many people consider Bethlehem to be one of the most important cities in the world. Yet, instead of being a city characterized by peaceful worship, Bethlehem has been devastated by the Israeli occupation. The Israeli occupation has stripped Bethlehem of the holiness that would otherwise define the city.
News coverage is typically diverted toward Palestinian cities either in the Gaza Strip or in other parts of the West Bank, such as Jenin, Tulkarem, and Hebron. True, Bethlehem was covered by major news outlets last Christmas, which highlighted the absence of Christmas festivities and the resulting damage to the city’s economy. However, little attention is paid to Bethlehem’s current status. Last month, several Palestinians had their homes vandalized and were themselves assaulted by Israeli forces in the Kisan wilderness, which is east of Bethlehem. Recently, Israeli forces arrested and raided the homes of two Palestinian brothers in Beit Sahour, a neighboring town. To understand Bethlehem’s current status, I interviewed activists and locals.
“Year after year, the situation [in Bethlehem] has gotten worse and worse,” said Mazin Qumsiyeh, a Palestinian scientist, internationally recognized human rights activist, and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize nominee. When I initially entered the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability, which Qumsiyeh founded and currently directs, I was greeted by a variety of Palestinian historical artifacts. Qumsiyeh both told me about the centrality of Palestinian society to agricultural development and lamented Israeli colonization. When I asked him about the changes that Bethlehem has been subject to, Qumsiyeh, specifically referring to the last 20 years, stated that the city’s situation has deteriorated rapidly due to “the wall building, the restriction of movement, and the inability for us to even go to Jerusalem.”
The 270,000 Palestinians that live in Bethlehem Governorate (including around 70,000 refugees), Qumsiyeh went on to state, are limited “to only 15% of the land of Bethlehem, [which is] increasingly surrounded by walls and refugee centers.” Furthermore, Qumsiyeh acknowledged the degradation of Bethlehem’s environment due to Israeli oppression. “There’s increased desertification that’s coming from the area of the Jordan Valley toward here because of Israel’s actions and climate change, which, of course, Israel contributes to climate change because the military produces more greenhouse gases from jet fuel flying to bomb Gaza, Lebanon, and so forth” compared to other countries. Overall, “we have been devastated here,” said Qumsiyeh.
It’s impossible to miss the Christmas House shop on the way to Bethlehem’s Milk Grotto Church, especially since beautiful olive wood carvings are prominently on display. When I asked Jack Giacaman, the shop’s sales/production manager, about life in Bethlehem, he said the following: “The first thing is that you are in a big siege, a big prison called Bethlehem [that is] surrounded by checkpoints and a wall. The feeling that you cannot move itself is a dangerous feeling.” While less common compared to other areas of the West Bank, Giacaman also highlighted the presence of settler violence in the area around Bethlehem. For instance, since the separation wall isn’t completely finished toward the west of Bethlehem, “the settlers are taking the land and preventing people from reaching their farming land.”
In addition, Bethlehem suffers from economic challenges. Outside of the Church of the Nativity, tour guide and retired police officer Ahmad Tannanhe is commonly found. When I asked him about how the city of Bethlehem was doing, Tannanhe responded by stating that while many tourists previously came to the city from around the globe, “because of the war in Gaza, the tourists are afraid to come.” Since Bethlehem’s economy relies on tourism, the city has been devastated. Furthermore, Tannanhe went on, “many workers are also not allowed to work inside of Israel.” Since the beginning of Israel’s genocide within the Gaza Strip, Israel has revoked the work permits of more than 150,000 Palestinians, obliterating their source of income.
When I asked Qumsiyeh how he maintains the strength to continually advocate for Palestinian rights amidst Israeli oppression, he explained to me that resistance isn’t a choice. “You don’t have a choice. It’s not a matter of choice. It’s a matter of what you have to do, what you are born to do because your country is colonized by ruthless, racist colonizers who don’t want you on this land. So, everything you do is a form of resistance. Even being born here is resistance. Resistance is not an option. It’s a way of life.”
Importantly, the suffocation that Palestinians experience due to the Israeli occupation is maintained by American support. Recently, Israeli ministers approved 22 new West Bank settlements, which is the largest expansion in decades. In addition, the Israeli government has both expanded roads going through the West Bank and attempted to legalize isolated outposts, which are illegal under current Israeli law. The American government hasn’t penalized Israel, and it's very likely they won’t. For Giacaman, the United States’ reluctance to punish Israel isn’t surprising. “America is not a free country. It’s a country under the control of Zionists,” said Giacaman.
U.S. President Donald Trump allies himself with radical Christian Zionists and apparently considers himself a “non-denominational Christian.” Yet, if Trump sincerely believed in the teachings of the Bible, he wouldn’t support the manufactured suffering of a city that God entrusted with the birth of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, if Trump truly believed in Jesus Christ’s peaceful teachings, he wouldn’t be complicit with both the genocide that is being carried out by Israel in the Gaza Strip and the oppression of the Palestinian people in general. While God is certainly connected with the people of Bethlehem, current Israeli policy guarantees Bethlehem’s betrayal of God by ensuring that the city no longer exists as a fountain of peace. Instead, Bethlehem is stained by suffering, violence, and oppression.
Ironically, the Holy Land may be undergoing a crisis of holiness. How could the Holy Land be considered the holiest of places if its rulers perpetuate violence and injustice? When I asked about the future, Giacaman issued a pessimistic vision: “I don’t see a future in the Holy Land for any people, [whether they’re] Christian, Muslim, or Jewish…This place is changing into a place of hate, a place of separation. There are no bridges between people. A new crazy Zionist youth is growing. In the beginning, I thought there was an Islamic hatred of Jews, but I now see that Zionists are more dangerous to the Jews than any other thing because [Zionism blinds them]. They are away from God.”
