During Christmas celebrations, the city of Bethlehem usually turns into a hive of activity and commercial activity, but this year’s war made tourists and visitors move away from the Palestinian city located in the West Bank and made hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops empty of customers.
A Reuters report quotes business owners in the city as saying that no customers came as Israel’s war on Gaza raged since October 7 and the subsequent escalation of tension in the West Bank.
Joey Cannavati, owner of the Alexander Hotel – whose family has lived and worked in Bethlehem for four generations – says the hotel has no guests, and adds that this is “the worst Christmas ever” because Bethlehem is closed for Christmas.
Cannavati points out that before last October 7, his hotel was fully booked for Christmas, but since the start of the war, everyone has canceled their reservations, including reservations for next year.
He asserts that all they get via email is “cancellation after cancellation.”
The city of Bethlehem is located just south of Jerusalem, and depends heavily for income and jobs on visitors from all over the world who come to see the Church of the Nativity.
Since the intensification of the war, the West Bank has witnessed a significant increase in the frequency of Jewish settlers’ attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, which reached its peak during the past 15 years.
An exceptional silence descends on Manger Square in Bethlehem in front of the Church of the Nativity, which is usually the focal point of Christmas celebrations. The place was devoid of activity, as were the nearby streets, as most gift shops closed their doors.
Roni Tabsh, who sells crosses, statues of the Virgin Mary and other religious icons in his family’s store, says that it has been nearly two months without any visitors or tourists and that he only opens the store as a way to escape despair.
For his part, Alaa Salama, the owner of a falafel restaurant, says that his restaurant operates at 10% or 15% of its capacity and serves food to local Palestinian families instead of the usual influx of foreign visitors.
Big losses
Before that, the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy said that Bethlehem Governorate had incurred economic losses estimated at millions of shekels in various sectors, especially the tourism sector, since the start of the aggression on the Gaza Strip, due to the closures and continuous incursions.
The Ministry’s Directorate in Bethlehem says that the Council of Churches decided to prevent Christmas celebrations this year, and limited it only to official ceremonies in Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour.
She added that the tourism sector was damaged by 100%, which led to the closure of restaurants and the disruption of tourist hotels.
Data from the Palestinian Ministry of Economy revealed a decline in the performance of 85% of economic establishments as a result of the continuous invasions and raids carried out by the Israeli occupation in Palestinian cities, camps and towns.
