IMEU Institute for Middle East Understanding
News Roundup
A Christmas tree lighting ceremony was held in Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village in the West Bank, that this year has been the focus of international outcry after an Israeli court ordered it be demolished.
on January 6, 2019
Photo Essays
In photos: Palestinians from Bethlehem to Nazareth participate in Christmas celebrations despite Israel's continuous efforts to erase Palestinian traditions and Palestinian Christian lives.
on December 20, 2018
News & Analysis
The town of Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Jesus, kicked off preparations for the festive season by erecting and lighting a giant Christmas tree outside the Church of Nativity.
on December 12, 2018
Op-Eds & Analysis
Jesus has been a key moral figure in my religious upbringing. I was born in New Jersey but my parents relocated to Palestine when I was in second grade. In Palestine, I attended the Quaker Friends Boys School. Yes, there are many Palestinian Christians, including Quakers. We learned about Liberation Theology...
on December 24, 2016
News Roundup
“Christmas has no place in the Holy Land,” insists Benzion Gopstein, the leader of a far-right Israeli group that has indirectly received support from the government. According to Gopstein, Christians are “vampires and blood suckers” that must be expelled from Israel, the U.S.’ closest ally. “Let us remove the vampires before they once again drink our blood,” he wrote in a recent article on an ultra-Orthodox website.
on December 26, 2015
News Roundup
When people think of Palestine and religion, the Muslim–Jewish conflict invariably comes to mind. But this association overlooks the 11% of Christian Palestinians who also live there — and who endure surprisingly similar prejudices to their Muslim counterparts. "Christians suffer from the same discrimination and marginalization facing the rest of the Palestinian community," the Huffington Post...
on December 24, 2015
Op-Eds & Analysis
One of the most beautiful memories of my childhood in Jaffa is the Christmas ceremonies, and the trees, when the various Christian communities would prepare colorful celebrations and many would make their way to Bethlehem. Just as during the Muslim festivities of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, all Palestinians would celebrate together.
on December 23, 2015
Op-Eds & Analysis
At this holy time of the year, Bethlehem, the city of the Nativity, stands at the center of attention of the whole world. What the world might overlook as it watches is that the very city where Jesus was born celebrates yet another occupied Christmas. This year, Israel, a self-proclaimed “safe haven” for Christians, has presented to Bethlehem a few unwelcome Christmas gifts.
on December 23, 2015
Photo Essays
From Bethlehem to Nazareth to the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Christians — a group that many people don't know exist — are taking a breath from the daily struggles of life under occupation to enjoy tree lightings and time with family. Palestinian Christians make up over 10 percent of the Palestinian population worldwide.
on December 23, 2015