Everything is closed. There are no tourists and pilgrims. This is the worst year even since the Intifada years. The message of peace is not reaching Gaza
The bell of the Church of the Nativity is ringing. He calls faithful Christians to church on the day of Christ’s birth. A day completely different from any previous day. There are no tourists even for a sample. The war in Gaza leaves no room for pilgrimage tourism, as at any such time in the past, where hotels, squares and shops were bustling with life. This year, death prevails. There is no traditional Christmas tree in Manger Square. The streets are empty, the souvenir shops are closed. Like the “Alexandros” hotel.
“Not even Christmas, nor a Christmas buffet»
The owner of the hotel, Joey Kanavati, has a photo of his grandfather, Stavros Kanavati, of Italian origin, an Orthodox priest for 40 years, at the reception. There is no one in the hotel premises. “The hotel is completely empty,” he tells us. “We have no visitors, no one. Even the reservations for 2024 have all been cancelled. From September, and if. We were expecting a very good year for 2024. But now all we get in the mail is one cancellation after another. It’s a disaster”. He takes us upstairs and shows us the rooms, all empty. But also the breakfast and restaurant areas, where a few months earlier people celebrated birthdays and weddings, chairs and tables are empty. ” “We had at least 120 people dining here every night and it was full. Noise, people, life. Now empty. No Christmas, no Christmas breakfast and dinner, no Christmas buffet.”
Kanavati says he now lives off his savings. “But how much longer? Everyone lives off tourism here in Bethlehem. And when everything closes, the whole city, the whole country closes. It’s unbelievable. It’s the worst Christmas ever. Bethlehem is closed for Christmas. No Christmas tree, no joy, no Christmas spirit. You know, Bethlehem at Christmas was beautiful. People from all over the world were coming. People have been waiting for this moment. And as you can see now, it’s a ghost town.” A little further down is Ronnie Tabas’s souvenir shop. It’s the fourth generation of owners. His great-grandfather opened it in 1927. Despite the lack of tourists, he’s open every day because it gives him strength, courage and hope that one day things will be as they were before.
“Peace was born in Bethlehem”
He sells crosses, statues of the Virgin Mary, candles, amulets, other religious trinkets in his family’s shop and organizes shelves and merchandise to pass the time. “Our business depends on pilgrims and tourists. Bethlehem in general depends on pilgrims and tourists. And this time of year we have festivals all the time. Bethlehem is the best place in the world. And this time of year is the season of Christmas where Jesus was born in Bethlehem. So for us, this season is really very difficult. We are almost three months without any pilgrims, any tourists.”
Afteem is Bethlehem’s first falafel restaurant and is located right on Manger Square. It was founded by the Salameh refugee family, who came from Jaffa. It is open but only serves locals. The traffic does not exceed 10% to 15% of what it usually is at such a time. “We have to keep it because I have workers so I can pay them,” says Alaa Salameh. “To feed the children, their family. We pray for peace. You know, Bethlehem is the city where peace was born, so it should be the messenger of peace to spread to the whole world.” But Gaza seems so far away these months, so far that the message cannot reach…
Source :Skai
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
