Bethlehem church cancels Christmas celebrations in solidarity with Gaza

(5 Dec 2023) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Bethlehem, West Bank - 5 December 2023 1. Interior of Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in the West Bank city of Bethlehem 2. Church windows 3. Cross 4. Set-up shot of Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem: “This year, Christmas celebrations are canceled in Bethlehem, and for obvious reasons. It’s impossible to celebrate while our people in Gaza are going through a genocide, when children are being massacred in such a brutal manner. All the heads of churches in Jerusalem decided that Christmas celebrations will be mainly prayers with no festive celebrations.“ 6. Pile of rubble resembling the destruction in Gaza placed by Christmas tree 7. Depiction of Baby Jesus wrapped in the black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarf laid on pile of rubble, symbol