This appears to have been done by the city, which has Muslim rulers, not by the Church, although the Church no doubt agrees wholeheartedly and would have done the same thing if the municipality hadn’t. Christian Arabs generally identify fully with the Muslim majority, and share its perspectives. This is a lingering legacy of centuries of dhimmitude.
“Jesus’ birthplace removes all Christmas decorations in honor of Hamas ‘martyrs,’” by Danielle Greyman-Kennard, Jerusalem Post, November 16, 2023:
The West Bank city of Bethlehem, famous for being the birthplace of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, has declared that they will be removing all decorations celebrating the annual holiday of Christmas.
“Bethlehem Municipality crews announced the dismantling of Christmas decorations installed several years ago in the city’s neighborhoods and removing all festive appearances in honor of the martyrs and in solidarity with our people in Gaza,” the municipality wrote on Facebook.
A spokesperson for the city also told the Telegraph “The reason is the general situation in Palestine; people are not really into any celebration, they are sad, angry and upset; our people in Gaza are being massacred and killed in cold blood.”…
Max says
Christian… in name only, blasphemous in thought word and deed. The lying muslim is ubiquitous & spreading it’s fallacious evil death cult throughout the world and must be stopped.
Walter Sieruk says
The entire idea of “honoring” the jihadists of Hamas who died fighting for the terrible cause of a false religion and even calling them “martyrs” is completely nonsensical.
Furthermore, if a jihadist of Hamas , or any other jihadist just after his Islamic suicide /homicide attack right after he died ,to his shock and horror, he found himself trapped and suffering in the fires of an awful place the Bible calls “hell.” Luke 16:19-31. That jihad minded Muslim of Hamas was dangerous to self and others because that he was indoctrinated with and likewise believed in the doctrine found in the Quran, 44:54. 55:56. 78;31.,of a lust –filled sex paradise with many virgins, in in for his use only, because he died as a “martyr” for the cause of Islam. That jihadist will discover the hard way that he was instructed in and put his faith in a false doctrine that is from a false religious book of false religion .This doctrine of a paradise for the jihadist who died fighting for Islam was only an enticing religious story of fiction. The Bible does give warning against giving “heed to fables…” First Timothy 1:4. [N.K.J.V]
As for dying in a murderous jihad attack, in spite, of the Muslim clerics falsely calling it a “martyrdom operation.” That jihadist after in dies in a jihad murder attack, and learn too late, the truth of Bible with informs its reader that a murderer “will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:21.
In addition, such false teachers, as those imams and mullahs, who teach and ingrain false yet enticing doctrines as that a lust /sex fill place with virgins into the hearts and minds of others had been predicted in the Bible. For it is written, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine , but according to their own desires , because they have itching ears ; they will heap up for themselves teachers ;and they will away their ears from the truth and be turned to fables.” Second Timothy 4 : 3,4.
Walter Sieruk says
Those Muslims who joined Hamas a likewise became dangerous and murderous and died in their evil actions aren’t genuine martyrs. What they actually were are ,in reality, deluded men deceived by the false promises found in a bogus religion, which is Islam.
To explain this in more detail , the Muslims who are the jihadists of Hamas are dangerous, deadly and deluded. By the word “ deluded “ it means that they are under the spell of the deception of the false doctrines of the false religion that is Islam.
This deception of deceit may be seen, by all those who are willing to see, in the Islamic doctrine of a virgin filled paradise designed specify for the male Muslim jihadist who dies in the jihad for the cause of Islam, in what they so inappropriately call a “martyrdom operation.” Many a times a jihadist/Muslim is so very deluded that he actually put on his video recording that after he dies in the jihad as a “martyr” he will then in paradise have a “wedding with virgins.” This firm but blind unquestioning folly is the result of such a man believing in deception of a false doctrine. With Light of the Wisdom of Jesus a belief in a “wedding with virgins.” is the outcome of a person accepting as the “truth” an invalid and false. For Jesus taught “you are mistaken, not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angles in heaven.” Matthew 22:29,30. [N.K.J.V.]
A jihadist will after dies and such a murderous way will have a very hard and harsh “reality check” In that “his expectation will perish…” Proverb 11:7. For he will then discover that he was deceived by false doctrine and lie of “a paradise with virgins” and to his shock and horror he will find himself trapped and suffering ,with no hope of escape, in the fires of hell. As the Bible teaches a murder “will not inherit the kingdom of God,” Galatians 5:21. This is sad and tragic but nevertheless it’s the reality of the truth.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
The legendary islamo-Christians of Bethlehem (and Palestine)
Hoi Polloi says
But, but, but!!! They revere Jesus!!! Really, they do!!!
/s
Wellington says
No informed Christian should sing “Oh little town of Bethlehem” come this Christmas. Doing so would only add enormous insult to already massive injury.
James Lincoln says
Wellington,
I really cherish that song – but I won’t sing it this year.
GreekEmpress says
Me neither.
somehistory says
“not really into any celebration, they are sad, angry and upset;”
I say; evidently, the members of hamas, r tlaib, i elmi, all those rabid college students, the many mozlum clerics in just about every mozlum nation which has checked in since Oct 7 failed to get the memo.
The memo which told all of those celebrating the slaughter of poor innocents by the so-called *resistance* that they weren’t “really into any celebration” but that they are “sad, angry and upset.”
Let the word get out so all of the Christians who had planned to visit during this time, will stay home with their money safely put away.
somehistory says
Christians were told by Christ, “As you see all of these things, raise yourselves erect and lift up your heads because your deliverance is getting near.”
Far from the ”sad, angry and upset,” mozlums claim, in order to have an excuse for canceling.
Lisa D Letto says
Their actions seen to support my doubt that there are many, if any Innocents in the area
aum says
Despicable