'A shameful illegal procedure': Gaza Christians struggle to celebrate Christmas due to Israeli ban 

As thousands of Christians rush to the West Bank city of Bethlehem to join the general Christmas celebrations, Gaza-based Christians struggle to join the festivities due to the endless and unlimited illegal Israeli restrictions imposed on the residents of the besieged coastal enclave. 

Officially, the Christians kick off their celebrations on December 25 every year until January 7 based on both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. 

"Unfortunately, the Israeli occupation is insisting on imposing its unacceptable restrictions on us only because we live in Gaza"

For 2000 years, Christians worldwide have been observing it with traditions and religious practices, mainly with a pilgrimage to Bethlehem city where it is believed Jesus Christ was born, while he grew up in Nazareth, and died in Jerusalem.

During the days of feasts, the Christians used to participate in general and public celebrations in Bethlehem, visit the city's churches for prayers and walk in the public streets, primarily the historical ones to remember their religious history. 

However, Elias al-Jelda, a Gaza-based Christian, is forced to attend some of the Christian celebrations in Bethlehem virtually through a video call linking him with his son in the area. 

“Unfortunately, the Israeli occupation is insisting on imposing its unacceptable restrictions on us only because we live in Gaza,” the 54-year-old official at the Orthodox church told The New Arab, complaining that “Israel prevented dozens of Christians from joining their relatives and loved ones to celebrate their festivals.”

Elias is among the 382 other Christians who Israel denied a permit to visit Bethlehem during Christmas feasts, under the pretext of being banned for security reasons, according to official statistics issued by the Christian church in Gaza. 

In a press statement, the Deir Latin Church in Gaza confirmed that around 1,000 people had applied for permits to reach the West Bank, but only 518 of those were issued their permits and "most of these permits were issued to dead or migrant people."

Samer Tarazi, another Gaza-based Christian, has also found himself watching the festivities in Bethlehem through his mobile as his wife and sons record some lives from the holy city for the Christians. 

For over nine years, the 45-year-old father of two says Israel has refused all his applications. "Officers told me that the refusal was due to a security ban," he explains. 

“Neither I nor any other Christians in Gaza can threaten Israel... The Israelis are liars and they want us to leave our houses and lands here and migrate to other countries,” he stressed. 

"Neither I nor any other Christians in Gaza can threaten Israel... The Israelis are liars and they want us to leave our houses and lands here and migrate to other countries"

Year by year, he notes, "Israel is tightening its procedures with our cause and dealing with us with clear recklessness," stressing that “there are dozens of Christians who got their permits will not head to Bethlehem to be with their relatives who cannot do so because of the Israeli ban.”

In 2007, Israel imposed a tight blockade on the territory, home to more than 2.3 million people, after the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) forcibly took control of it.

Back then, about 3,500 Christians lived in Gaza, but now there are only 1,000 of them still living in the area, as some of them immigrated to Arab and Western countries, and others moved to live in the West Bank due to the hard-living conditions in the coastal enclave. 

Since then, Salma Saba, a Gaza-based Christian woman, used to celebrate Christmas with her eight-member family in a sombre atmosphere because of the endless Israeli violations. 

This is a shameful illegal procedure... Israel deliberately issues permits for one or two members only of my family every year... but we refuse to go separately to Bethlehem for our feasts and prefer to stay here” 

This year, she says, “I got a permit, but neither my husband nor my sons received their own permits, so I decided not to leave Gaza and stay with them here.” 

Really, she adds, “this is a shameful illegal procedure,” explaining that “Israel deliberately issues permits for one or two members only of my family every year (...) but we refuse to go separately to Bethlehem for our feasts and prefer to stay here,” she added. 

"Depriving Christians of their right to practice their religious rites and access their churches in Bethlehem and Jerusalem is a flagrant violation by the occupation forces against human rights in the Palestinian territories”

She stressed that “Israel insists on provoking us as we decided to stay in Gaza and not leave it based on our national values that believed that the Palestinian Christians and Muslims are equal on this land in confronting the Israeli occupation.”

Samir Zaqout, a Gaza-based official of the al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, told The New Arab  that "depriving Christians of their right to practice their religious rites and access their churches in Bethlehem and Jerusalem is a flagrant violation by the occupation forces against human rights in the Palestinian territories.”

He said that "what makes Israel continues its crimes against the Palestinians is the fact that the international community keeps silence towards its violations that begin with killing Palestinians and end with depriving them of their most basic human rights."

Elias, Samer, and Salma have joined dozens of other minority Christian communities in Gaza to officially began Christmas celebrations by lighting a Christmas tree in the yard of Deir Latin Church in Gaza. 

Many Palestinian families, including Christian and Muslim dignitaries from the besieged enclave, attended the event held in the church, which was marked with short speeches by Palestinian Christian leaders, government representatives and music by the YMCA marching band. 

While Palestinian children donned holiday outfits, including Santa hats, the Christmas tree lit up followed by a display of fireworks.

The ceremony was attended by officials, religious leaders, and scores of Palestinians while Palestinian bands presented scout performances and played Christmas carols in Arabic. 

“Lighting the Christmas tree is a message to the whole world that the Palestinian people love peace, justice, life and freedom,” Suhail Tarazi, an official at the YMCA, said during the ceremony. 

He added that “all the Gazans have the right to practice their religious rituals freely without being subjected to the Israeli restrictions.”

Sally Ibrahim is The New Arab's correspondent from Gaza