This Is Palestine
The Institute for Middle East Understanding
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Reverend Mitri Raheb: Why Christmas in Palestine is Canceled This Year
Last month, the Bethlehem municipality announced the cancellation of Christmas celebrations in the city of Christ’s birth, as a gesture of mourning and in honor of the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israel. Palestinian churches and local leaders emphasize that canceling Christmas in Palestine aims to send a message to the world and to those celebrating, highlighting that Israel is bombing the very birthplace of Christmas. They assert that if Jesus were alive today, 'he would be buried under the rubble.' Host Diana Buttu speaks with the renowned Palestinian Reverend and Professor, Dr. Mitri Raheb. A prominent Palestinian Christian leader and co-founder of the Dar Kalima University College of Arts and Culture in Bethlehem, Dr. Raheb is one of the most widely published Palestinian reverends and intellectuals. He also leads programs supporting artists and intellectuals in Gaza, some of whom have been killed by Israel during these past 10 weeks. Dr. Raheb shares insights on the deeply rooted Christmas traditions in Palestine, including those in Gaza, and discusses how Israel, with the support of the Biden administration, is brutally bombing the very people and land that brought Christmas to the world.
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