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Feature: Palestinians prepare for Christmas in Bethlehem

Xinhua, December 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

Abu Khalil, 64-year-old Palestinian, expressed concerns that Christmas celebrations this year won't be full of joy and happiness in the entire Palestinian territories.

He sat on a chair at the outdoor of his little store that is full of statues of Holy Mary and other religious souvenirs and close to the Church of Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, where Jesus Christ was born.

"Every year, Christmas has epical solicitude, but I don't think this year will be celebrations," he said with sadness.

Bethlehem, the city that has been under the full control of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) since 1995, has finalized the preparations for Christmas.

However, the celebrations this year would be limited to religious rites and keep in low-profile, showing sympathy with families who lost their children.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 129 Palestinians, including 25 children and five women, were killed since Oct. 3 during the latest wave of Palestinian-Israeli tension.

"Over the past few days, I didn't sell out any souvenir," Abu Khalil told Xinhua, adding that "our life depends on tourism, but it seems that business this year is declining."

George Abu Eitta, chairman of the hotels association in the city, told Xinhua that the current wave of violent tension and the Israeli measures on pilgrims to arrive in Bethlehem had negatively influenced hotels booking business as well as the preparations for Christmas.

"In Bethlehem, there are 33 hotels, and the booking this year has barely reached 35 percent, while in previous years, bookings in the hotel exceeded 80 percent," said Abu Eitta, who expected a big loss in the sector of the Palestinian tourism this year.

Meanwhile, Jibrin Bakri, the Palestinian governor of Bethlehem, told Xinhua that aside from the atmospheres of sadness and grief in the Palestinian territories, the celebrations for Christmas this year will be national and all the Palestinians are expected to join it and make it on time.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah as well as other high-ranking Palestinian officials will join the Christmas midnight service in the city.

Around 500 Palestinian police officers will be deployed in the city for security. Bethlehem is considered as the holy city for Christians across the world.

The Ramallah Council of Churches and the Ramallah Municipality decided to dedicate this year's Christmas celebrations to the souls of Palestinians who were killed by the Israeli army since the beginning of October.

Ramallah's streets were not decorated as an expression of solidarity with the families who are until the moment waiting for the Israeli government to return the bodies of their children.

The families who are waiting for the bodies of their beloved would lead the customary march with Palestinian flag and candles. They would proceed to the square and lit torches, which symbolize justice and truth.

Head of the Ramallah Municipality Musa Hadid told Xinhua that the arrangement is a message to the world that Palestine is wounded and will not celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ like the rest of the world.

"Palestinians are one regardless of their beliefs," he said. Endit