Jesus was born in this village. Now they've canceled Christmas. Are his followers no longer welcome?

 Bethlehem city officials cancel Christmas out of respect for Gaza 'martyrs'

The city, known as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, can expect a further exodus of Jesus' followers after Christmas celebrations were canceled and festive decorations were removed, a former Catholic priest told Fox News.

"You have a city ... that is no longer Christian," theologian Jonathan Morris told Fox News. “Even an essential holiday like Christmas will not be respected.”

Authorities in the West Bank biblical city of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, announced on November 14 that Christmas decorations would not be displayed and that the holiday would be held in solidarity with Gaza amid ongoing bloodshed caused by the Israel-Hamas war. The celebration will be cancelled. Christmas decorations will also be removed throughout the year "out of respect for the martyrs and in solidarity with our people in Gaza," the city council posted on Facebook.

"We are seeing a political statement overshadowing something that we as Christians and the Christians of Bethlehem hold very sacred," Morris said. “When you hand over a Christian holiday – a holy holiday – to politicians, it will be desecrated, and that's what we're seeing in Bethlehem.”

"They're saying 'Whoever attacks our Palestinian brothers... we will protect them, we will defend them and we're not going to celebrate here,'" Morris said.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the former priest said eliminating holiday decorations and celebrations has destroyed tourism, which accounts for 90% of Bethlehem's revenue.

"That's how [Christians] made their living," Morris said. “So, we can be sure that not only has tourism stopped almost completely, but there will be a further exodus of Christians from Bethlehem, and that is sad.”

A spokesman for the city of Bethlehem told The Telegraph in November that it would not be appropriate to celebrate Christmas.

The spokesperson told the outlet, "The reason for this is the general situation in Palestine; people are not really in any celebration, they are sad, angry and upset; our people in Gaza are being massacred and brutally killed." going." “Therefore, it is not at all appropriate to have such celebrations when there is a massacre in Gaza and attacks in the West Bank.”

The Israeli government declared war on Hamas after the terrorist group fired thousands of rockets from Gaza and invaded the Jewish state, killing more than 1,200 Israelis and taking hostages, including soldiers, women, children and elderly civilians . According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, at least 13,300 Palestinians and Hamas militants have been killed during Israeli retaliatory attacks.

But Morris blamed Hamas for terrorizing the region since taking power in 2007, causing suffering to Israelis and Palestinians alike. The group has also been accused of brutal terrorist acts during the October 7 ambush, including raping women and beheading civilians.

Meanwhile, Christians are increasingly being persecuted and the targets of religious persecution around the world, according to an International Christian Concern report published on November 1. Morris said that Hamas and other terrorist organizations have increased the risk of persecution of Christians.

“Jews are not welcome,” Morris said. “Christians are not welcome.

So Israel has a right to make sure they're protecting freedom and innocent life," Morris continued. "The sad thing is, when you have terrorists, there's no point talking to them And they are hurting Palestinian Christians. for a very long time. Many Christians have fled."