Christian persecution continues in Israel and in the occupied Palestinian territories. From Gaza’s devastation to police raids in Haifa, Palestinians marked Christmas under siege and repression, turning a season of peace into an act of defiance. Christmas time is meant to be a time of peace and tolerance and good will but not so much for the Palestinian Christians in Israel.
Christmas celebrations across Palestine and inside Israel were marked by violence, repression and the enduring trauma of Israel’s war on Gaza, as Palestinian Christian communities attempted to observe the holiday under siege, surveillance and occupation.
In the northern city of Haifa, scenes of celebration in the Palestinian Christian neighbourhood of Wadi al-Nisnas turned chaotic after Israeli police stormed the area, arresting and beating residents, according to footage and eyewitness accounts shared online.
Families preparing for Christmas were met instead with force and arrests, in an incident that reflects the routine targeting of Palestinian communities, even during religious holidays.
The crackdown in Haifa came as Christians across Palestine marked Christmas amid the devastation left by Israel’s onslaught on Gaza and the tightening grip of military control in the occupied West Bank.
The following is a short summary:
Israeli police forces raided Christmas celebrations in the Wadi al-Nisnas neighbourhood of Haifa, detaining several Palestinian Christians, including a man dressed as Santa Claus, amid growing restrictions on religious gatherings. The raid, which occurred on Sunday, involved the use of excessive force, with police reportedly beating residents and arresting individuals during the disruption of festive events.
Footage shared online showed police dragging the man dressed as Santa Claus from the scene, while other videos captured the interruption of a traditional dabke dance. The police claimed they were responding to “unusual noise and a disturbance of public order,” though detainees alleged they were assaulted during their arrest, with one sustaining a shoulder injury.
The crackdown in Haifa reflects a broader pattern of repression against Palestinian communities, even during religious holidays. The incident is part of a wider trend of increasing harassment and restrictions on Palestinian Christians in Israel and the occupied territories, including rising anti-Christian hate crimes.
The crackdown occurred despite the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, with Israeli forces continuing near-daily raids across the West Bank and settler attacks reaching record levels.
Related Reading
- Persecution | Who are the Real Christians?
- Zionists Hate Christians and Muslims and Jews
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- Widows of Christian Martyrs in the Middle East Speak Out
- Does Israel Persecute Christians?
- Jesus Christ Does Not Support War or Genocide Regardless of Who Is Involved
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