Christ Under the Rubble; Bethlehem is in mourning on this Christmas Eve

Bethlehem is in mourning on Christmas Eve!

“Christ Under the Rubble,” said Munther Isaac, pastor of Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem.

Addressing the service on Christmas Eve, pastor Munther Isaac said, “Gaza today has become the moral compass of the world… If you fail to call this a genocide, that’s on you. It is a sin & a darkness you willingly embrace. Some have not even called for a ceasefire— I’m talking about churches.”

Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac criticises global inaction on Gaza at Bethlehem‘s Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church. He also highlights the loss of over 9,000 children and 1.9 million displaced Palestinians, condemning Western hypocrisy and church complicity.

Church leaders in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, have cancelled the Christmas celebrations to show solidarity with Palestinians.

The normally bustling biblical birthplace of Jesus resembled a ghost town on Sunday, as amid the Israel-Hamas war.

For this year, there are no decorations, festive lights and the traditional giant Christmas tree that normally decorate Manger Square while the local gift shops are also closed down.

The cancellation of Christmas festivities is a severe blow to the town’s economy as well.