It is almost a month now…On November 22nd they declared Bethlehem a military closed area. The curfew was imposed on more than 140000 inhabitants for reason that are still vague up to this very moment. For 28 days our lives have been switched off and on to the amplified announcement of an Israeli Jeep arrogantly patrolling the empty street of Bethlehem and announcing to the People of Bethlehem “The curfew is on” more often than the “curfew is off”, actually it seldom announces it off…

It is almost a month now…On November 22nd they declared Bethlehem a military closed area. The curfew was imposed on more than 140000 inhabitants for reason that are still vague up to this very moment. For 28 days our lives have been switched off and on to the amplified announcement of an Israeli Jeep arrogantly patrolling the empty street of Bethlehem and announcing to the People of Bethlehem “The curfew is on” more often than the “curfew is off”, actually it seldom announces it off…

28 days have passed and we are still arguing if they will lift up the curfew during Christmas or not… It is Bethlehem we say, we comfort ourselves, It is Christmas celebrated all around, the Israeli would not want to be seen as those who curfew Bethlehem, we argue, the Pope will intervene, the heads of churches will complain, we explain, the curfew will be lifted on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th, we wish, they will pull out and lift up the curfew during Christmas and they will come back after the Orthodox Christmas, we dream, they will not allow our president to participate, they confirm. It is amazing how we actively participate in the discussion level, the thinking and the argument but we actually cannot decide on anything that involves our life but to sleep! I say sleep because we are sometimes denied even the basic food to eat and the water to drink. Even that became a Luxury.

Today at 6 am the jeep came back once again, “the curfew is still on, o people of Bethlehem” … “the curfew is on till further notice “… He chose to sound the siren on, as if his amplified voice was not enough. In your face, o people of Bethlehem the curfew is still on.

A month ago we worked 24/7. Too many new ideas, new programs. Projects that better our education structure, others that provide roads to villages, some that educate our community more that create employment to the unemployed. We closed up 23 project and planned for another 17. Soon after Christmas, we said, In January we will start the housing project in Bethlehem, the school rehabilitation in Jifna, Ein Arik, Aboud, Taybeh, and Ramallah, the community center in Beit Sahour, the one in Beit Jala, the craft program in Bethlehem area, soon after Christmas we said, we will have one beautiful year.

A week before the 22 nd of November we actually acted as normal human beings. WE ARE ENTITLED TO. We remembered yesterday, lived the day and We could plan for tomorrow; dream of a better future, think of our schools, our community of our city, enjoy moments of achievement and success, have a working lunch, invite friends over to dinner, play with the kids, romance with our loved ones, do some shopping, pray and attend mass in preparation for Christmas. A week before the 22nd of November Bethlehem lived.

Now we are a week before Christmas, we are curfewed  to our homes and concrete walls. Our wishes dreams and positive thoughts are narrowed down to 4 hours every week. We spread out in all directions, we zoom into shops and zoom out of traffic to get the shopping done. We divide up lists and locations. The mobiles are on just in case Milk is announced somewhere else, just in case the bakery is full, the line is too long, or the Jeep is back!

Bethlehem lives and dies by an amplified voice of an 18 year old. I say it dies, for any city whose streets are not lived to the choice of its inhabitants is morally dead!

We will have their hair done a week before Christmas, Nahida said a month ago, Nadeem and Kameel agreed. They lifted up the curfew three times now, and we still could not have their hair done. They still look cute, but they see and hear less nowadays!. Nadeem has a tooth problem, too many sweets I think…. That will have to wait too.

On December 24th Nadeem will put on the new two piece you bought him and Kameel will put on the Danish jumper, we smiled. We will go down to my father’s shop in the old city and watch his beatitude as he passes by. Kameel loves the scouts and he was only a year last Christmas he will enjoy it even better this time. Nadeem can go with his cousin, we said, he can go and play at the neighboring Assyrian club, they have great Christmas games for kids, we remembered. Who will dress up as Santa this time, we dreamed. Will we gather up at my parents house and have all them 17 sons, nephews and nieces, we thought, or better if we all go to the Catholic Action club, they are having a big Christmas gathering for more than 1500 kids, we planned.

Shall they allow us to celebrate we argue, will they let us pray, we wish, will they have a tank at the square during midnight mass, we fear. Every body is speculating on our behalf, they will lift up they curfew on the 24th and 25 the, they must. They will look bad, they just cannot, they will at least lift up the curfew during the day and on the night of the 24th, surely they will. Well … they should have withdrawn ten months ago. They should have reduced their measures against the whole population 26 months ago. They should have withdrawn to 67 borders 35 years ago too!

It is only a week to Christmas, and we only prayed once, they allowed us one Sunday, seven hours this time. The church was full, kids all over, families, mothers and fathers. Our Parish Priest at St. Catherine spoke of the pain we go through, the ordeals we have to endure, but also the blessings we have, the show of endurance we have to portray, the steadfastness we have to keep.  That day Bethlehem lived, not because we were given seven hours, but because it is from this very place, the promise of life was given to the world, from this very place, a new testament with God began, where we all became sons and daughters of god. This very same place that is under curfew now lives in the celebration of all the people around the world. This cannot be stooped nor changed by any jeep, any microphone or any political statement by any wise or fool. Bethlehem lives in the hymns, songs thoughts, prayers, and dedications of millions. Bethlehem lives in the hearts of our kids who still wish for a happy Christmas, in the hearts of those who love, those who care, those who dare and say the truth.

Holy Christmas.
George