President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital looms large in Christmas festivities this year in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
Some food vendors, sellers of holiday trinkets and a leading hotelier in biblical Bethlehem say Palestinian protests, triggered by what many here view as a provocative show of pro-Israel bias, have hurt their Christmas business.
Yet Bethlehem also offers a stage for a Palestinian rebuttal: banners proclaiming Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Palestine have been draped over facades on Manger Square as a backdrop for Christmas TV broadcasts to a global audience.
The conflict is keenly felt, perhaps even more so at Christmas, in Bethlehem, just a few kilometres south of Jerusalem. Israel’s separation barrier cuts into Bethlehem and a segment of it has become a tourist magnet. Its cement slabs are covered with works by international graffiti artists such as Banksy and pro- Palestinian slogans left by visitors.