Dec 26, 2023
For the first time since the 1948 Nakba, there was no Christmas tree lighting outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Palestine.
In its place, an installation depicting the nativity scene is placed as if it were taking place in Gaza today. This is done in support of the people of Gaza who have been facing a harrowing Israeli aggression for the past 80 days, an aggression so catastrophic that it lead to cancelling Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem this year.
With the nativity models placed amid rubble and barbed wire, the star of Bethlehem is represented by the aftermath of a bomb hitting their shelter. The scene replicates those following Israeli shelling of civilian homes in Gaza.
