Christmas returns to Holy Land cities as Bethlehem’s Christian population dwindles, Nazareth remains strong

Christmas celebrations returned this twelvemonth to some Bethlehem and Nazareth, but the play is unfolding precise otherwise successful the 2 cities that beryllium astatine the bosom of Christianity — Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and Nazareth, wherever helium lived.

In Nazareth, festivities are wide and confident, rooted successful a increasing Christian beingness successful Israel. In Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, celebrations took spot again aft much than 2 years of disruption, but against the backdrop of a semipermanent demographic diminution and heavy interest wrong the section Christian community.

Elias Zarina, a elder researcher astatine the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy and a longtime Christian activist, said the semipermanent numbers underscore the concern. Christians made up 86% of Bethlehem’s colonisation successful 1950, Zarina said. By the past Palestinian census successful 2017, they accounted for astir 10%. He added that since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas onslaught connected Israel, astatine slightest 142 Christian families person near the Bethlehem area.

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People stitchery adjacent to the Christmas histrion astatine Manger Square connected the time of Christmas events with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, connected Christmas Eve, successful the Old City of Bethlehem successful the West Bank, Dec. 24, 2025.  (Mussa Qawasma/Reuters)

"They saw what happened connected Oct. 7 and understood that minorities successful this portion person nary aboriginal without existent protection," Zarina said.

In Nazareth, Josh Reinstein, manager of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and president of the Israel Allies Foundation, described a sharply antithetic reality, which helium said reflects governance and security.

"Nazareth is simply a wholly antithetic situation," Reinstein said. "It’s an indigenous Christian assemblage nether the authorization of Israel, and it grows each year. It prospers."

Reinstein pointed to economical and societal indicators to marque his case, noting that portion Christians marque up for astir 2% of Israel’s population, "Christian communities person the highest GDP per capita compared to Jews, Muslims and Druze," helium said. "They’re respected, they’re protected, and they person the aforesaid rights arsenic everyone else."

Reinstein contrasted that with Bethlehem’s trajectory since the 1990s.

"Since the Oslo accords successful the 90s, the Christian assemblage of Bethlehem has been decimated by the Palestinian Authority," Reinstein told Fox News Digital. "Bethlehem was erstwhile a metropolis with an overwhelming Christian majority. Today, Christians are astir 10% of the population, and they are nary longer represented successful the municipality. That tells you everything astir what has happened there."

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A antheral wearing Santa Claus costume takes portion successful the 40th yearly Christmas parade heading towards the Basilica of the Annunciation connected December 24, 2025 successful Nazareth, Israel. Nazareth, the location of Jesus according to the New Testament, has seen a instrumentality of Christmastime tourism this twelvemonth aft 2 years successful which celebrations were muted amid the warfare successful Gaza. Nazareth, successful Israel's Galilee region, is simply a predominately Arab town, astir one-third of whom are Christian with the bulk being Muslim. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)

Bethlehem did people Christmas this year. Crowds gathered successful Manger Square, the Christmas histrion was lit and spiritual ceremonies took spot astatine the Church of the Nativity. Local officials framed the celebrations arsenic a motion of resilience and an effort to task normalcy aft years of warfare and economical collapse.

Zarina, however, said the Palestinian Authority’s determination to let Christmas events this twelvemonth should beryllium viewed successful context.

"In caller months, the Palestinian Authority has sought to reintroduce itself to planetary nationalist opinion, peculiarly to the Christian world, done symbolic festive displays specified arsenic the Christmas histrion lighting ceremonial successful Bethlehem," Zarina said successful comments provided to Fox News Digital. "These efforts are meant to marketplace the Palestinian Authority arsenic moderate, particularly arsenic discussions proceed astir Gaza’s future. But events connected the crushed implicit conscionable a fewer days person sharply contradicted that image."

Clergy members stand, connected the time Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa attends Christmas celebrations successful Bethlehem, successful the West Bank, connected Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2025. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)

Zarina noted that respective incidents targeting Christians occurred wrong a azygous week up of Christmas, including threats against churches and convulsive assaults tied to onshore disputes.

"Christians successful these areas are subjected to a systematic argumentation manifested done harassment, violence, intelligence terror, forced displacement and the confiscation of spot by extremist families driven by rigid Salafi ideology and supported morally and financially by states known for backing extremist movements, foremost among them Turkey and Qatar," helium claimed. "In this context, the Palestinian Authority appears either incapable oregon unwilling to enforce the regularisation of instrumentality and support the Christian minority."

Recent incidents successful the Palestinian Authority country of power person reinforced those concerns. A religion successful Jenin was firebombed earlier this week and a Christmas histrion was acceptable connected occurrence extracurricular different church. Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded by informing of "growing hostility toward Christians" nether Palestinian Authority governance.

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And portion Israel has occasionally seen attacks against its Christian assemblage by extreme religious-nationalist elements who person been accused of vandalizing spiritual sites and utilizing verbal assaults aimed astatine clergy, successful his Christmas message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is simply a federation that looks aft its Christian population.

He stated successful part, "Israel is the lone state successful the Middle East wherever Christians tin signifier their religion with afloat rights and successful full freedom. Where Christian pilgrims are embraced with unfastened arms and are truthful profoundly appreciated. Where Christians tin observe proudly their traditions and openly bash truthful without immoderate fear," helium said, adding, "The persecution of Christians oregon members of immoderate religion cannot and indispensable not beryllium tolerated."

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Zarina said that Christian residents successful adjacent Beit Jala and successful Nablus avoided disposable festivities retired of fearfulness of harassment.

Not each Christian leaders successful Bethlehem stock the aforesaid assessment. Pastor Naim Khoury told Israeli quality bureau TPS-IL that conditions successful Bethlehem itself person improved this twelvemonth and that, truthful far, helium has not seen attacks connected to the holiday. Other activists, however, reason that fearfulness limits what galore Christians are consenting to accidental publicly.

"The Christians are nether tremendous unit and cannot talk freely," said Shadi Khalloul, laminitis and CEO of the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association, successful comments to TPS-IL. "They are trying to past quietly."

The opposition is besides reflected successful authoritative demographic data. According to figures released this week by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics and reported by TPS-IL, astir 184,200 Christians unrecorded successful Israel arsenic of Christmas Eve 2025, accounting for astir 1.9% of the population. The Christian colonisation grew by 0.7% successful 2024, making Israel 1 of the fewer countries successful the Middle East wherever the Christian assemblage continues to grow.

People instrumentality portion successful the 40th yearly Christmas parade connected December 24, 2025 successful Nazareth, Israel. Nazareth, the location of Jesus according to the New Testament, has seen a instrumentality of Christmast tourism this twelvemonth aft 2 years successful which celebrations were muted amid the warfare successful Gaza. Nazareth, successful Israel's Galilee region, is simply a predominately Arab town, astir one-third of whom are Christian with the bulk being Muslim.  (Amir Levy/Getty Images)

Nazareth is astatine the halfway of that growth. The metropolis has the largest Arab Christian colonisation successful Israel, with astir 18,900 residents, followed by Haifa and Jerusalem, according to Israeli authorities data. Most Arab Christians unrecorded successful Israel’s Northern and Haifa districts, wherever Christian communities person expanded alongside rising acquisition and income levels.

Heather Johnston, laminitis and CEO of the U.S. Israel Education Association, said the disposable opposition this Christmas reflects deeper realities.

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Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, attends Christmas celebrations successful Bethlehem, successful the West Bank, connected Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2025.  (Ammar Awad/Reuters)

"At Christmas, the opposition betwixt Nazareth and Bethlehem tells a larger story," Johnston said. "Christians are flourishing successful Nazareth nether Israeli rule, portion successful Bethlehem, nether the Palestinian Authority, the Christian colonisation has been shrinking for years. That quality speaks volumes astir which systems really support spiritual state and let past Christian communities to endure."

This Christmas, lights and hymns filled some cities. For Zarina and others, the question present is whether planetary attraction volition slice erstwhile the lights travel down, oregon whether it volition construe into lasting extortion for 1 of Christianity’s oldest communities.