Palestinian authorities in control of Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born, have banned Christmas decorations and displays this year, claiming that the move is in honor of the Gaza “martyrs” (i.e. terrorists) killed by Israel in the ongoing Hamas-Israel war.
A translation of a Facebook post from the municipality of Bethlehem, provided by Breitbart, said, “Bethlehem Municipality crews announced the dismantling of Christmas decorations installed several years ago in the city’s neighborhoods and removing all festive appearances in honor of the martyrs and in solidarity with our people in Gaza.”
The Facebook post showed a crew removing Christmas lights. Imagine the outcry if Jerusalem or Rome had sent crews to Muslim neighborhoods before Ramadan to remove Islamic symbols! But even though Jews and Christians are the most persecuted religious groups and Islam is among the most intolerant of religions, don’t expect global backlash and outrage.
What makes this Christmas cancellation so particularly disturbing is that it is in honor of the “martyrs,” which is Palestinian double-speak for “terrorists killed by Israelis.” The heinous Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack left hundreds of Israelis dead and forced Israeli authorities to come to grips with the reality that Arabs have been refusing peace in favor of trying to destroy Israel for decades,
