The bombed Nativity statue in Bethlehem sends a strong message Gaza

The scene of the destroyed cave of the Nativity symbolizes the plight of Jesus' family – and now the Palestinians.

Bethlehem, occupied West Bank – Bethlehem this year is gloomy and quiet. There is no Christmas tree and no holiday lights or tourists to see.

Instead, the city of Christ's birth – located in the middle of a war zone – celebrates Christmas with a powerful and poignant message: solidarity with Palestine.

The Cave of the Holy Family is a sculpture depicting an apocalyptic tableau: a destroyed version of the traditional Cave of the Nativity, which many Christians traditionally believe to be the place where Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It is now the site of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

The new mural compares the journey of Christ and his family, when they had to flee from Bethlehem under an oppressive ruler to Egypt, before returning to Nazareth two thousand years ago.

Surrounded by rubble and barbed wire, the Virgin Mary embraces the child Jesus, while Joseph embraces her and offers her condolences. On one side of the family, the Magi carry a white shroud. On the other side, the fourth shepherd carries a bag, a symbol of Palestinian displacement.

The angels hanging around the ruins represent the souls of children who were victims of massacres on Palestinian land throughout history: the killing of children in Bethlehem by Herod at the birth of Jesus; The various colonial attacks against the Palestinian people and their ancestors; And the massacres currently being committed by Israel in Gaza.

Throughout the venue, multilingual signs call for a ceasefire and an end to the massacre against the Palestinian people.

Hana Hanania, Mayor of Bethlehem, said that the statue aims to highlight the suffering of Palestinians everywhere. Churches, clergy and civilians in Gaza are being bombed, and a blockade is being imposed on the West Bank, especially in Bethlehem.

She added that the statue, with its political, religious and national symbolism, compares what happened more than 2,000 years ago with what is happening today. Just as Christ was tortured and children killed by King Herod, today children and women are slaughtered in an apparent act of genocide.

The ceiling of the cave is a geographical map of Gaza. Its shape and the depiction of the explosion form a star inspired by the Star of Bethlehem, which led the Magi to the birth of Jesus. This conveys a message of hope.

Artist Tariq Salsaa explained that the scene cannot fully express the massive destruction and systematic genocide to which the Palestinian people are exposed at the hands of the Israeli occupation. He added that what Palestine is going through today reminds us of the years of colonialism and all its allies throughout the different eras and historical eras.

“Christmas is approaching this year, and we find ourselves living in the most difficult and difficult circumstances, as a result of what our people are suffering in the besieged Gaza Strip and in all the cities, villages and camps of the West Bank and Jerusalem because of the ongoing Israeli aggression against our people,” said Rula Maayah, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of the Palestinian Authority.

Maayah said: “As we launch this symbolic initiative in Bethlehem, our people are confident that the Christmas message sent by the Messenger of Peace will triumph over injustice and tyranny.”

Father Ibrahim Feltz, Deputy Custodian of the Holy Land, said that we are in a constant state of mourning, especially in the days of mourning for the martyrs. “We did not witness such a scene in the square, nor did we see the city in this state. Bethlehem had never been this sad before.”