Bethlehem Christmas celebrations return amid Christian population decline

Christmas celebrations are back in both Bethlehem and Nazareth this year, but in two cities at the heart of Christianity – Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, and Nazareth, where he lived – the season is playing out very differently.

Festivities in Nazareth are held broadly and confidently, and are rooted in the growing Christian presence in Israel. In Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, celebrations were resumed after a break of more than two years; but these celebrations took place due to long-term demographic decline and deep concerns in the local Christian community.

Elias Zarina, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy and a longtime Christian activist, said the long-term figures underscore the concern. Christians made up 86 percent of Bethlehem’s population in 1950, Zarina said. According to the last Palestinian census in 2017, this rate was approximately 10%. He added that at least 142 Christian families have left the Bethlehem area since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

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“They saw what happened on October 7 and realized that minorities in this region will have no future without real protection,” Zarina said.

In Nazareth, Josh Reinstein, director of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and president of the Israel Allies Foundation, described an entirely different reality that he said reflected governance and security.

“Nazareth is a completely different situation,” Reinstein said. “This is an indigenous Christian community under Israeli authority, and it’s growing every year. It’s getting richer.”

Pointing to economic and social indicators to support his claim, Reinstein stated that Christians make up approximately 2% of the Israeli population and said, “Christian communities have the highest GDP per capita compared to Jews, Muslims and Druze.” “They are respected, protected and have the same rights as everyone else.”

Reinstein compared this to Bethlehem’s trajectory since the 1990s.

“Since the Oslo accords in the ’90s, much of the Christian community in Bethlehem has been destroyed by the Palestinian Authority,” Reinstein told Fox News Digital. he said. “Bethlehem was once a city with an overwhelmingly Christian majority. Today Christians make up about 10% of the population and are no longer represented in the municipality. That tells you everything about what’s going on there.”

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A man wearing a Santa costume participates in the 40th annual Christmas parade as it makes its way to the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Israel, on December 24, 2025. Nazareth, the home of Jesus according to the New Testament, has experienced a comeback in Christmas tourism this year after two years when celebrations were muted due to the war in Gaza. Nazareth, in Israel’s Galilee region, is a predominantly Arab town, about a third Christian, with the majority being Muslim. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)

Bethlehem celebrated Christmas this year. Crowds gathered in Manger Square, the Christmas tree was lit, and religious services were held in the Church of the Nativity. Local officials framed the celebrations as a sign of resilience and an effort to return to normal after years of war and economic collapse.

However, Zarina said the Palestinian Authority’s decision to allow Christmas events this year should be considered in context.

“In recent months, the Palestinian Authority has sought to reintroduce itself to the international public, especially the Christian world, through symbolic festive displays such as the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Bethlehem,” Zarina told Fox News Digital. he said. “These efforts aim to market the Palestinian Authority as moderate, especially as debates over the future of Gaza continue. But what has happened in just a few days sharply contradicts this image.”

Clergy stand as Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, attends Christmas celebrations in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)

Zarina noted that in the week before Christmas, several incidents targeting Christians occurred, including threats against churches and violent attacks linked to land disputes.

“Christians in these regions are subjected to a systematic policy of harassment, violence, psychological terror, forced displacement and property confiscation by extremist families guided by strict Salafi ideology and supported morally and financially by states known to support extremist movements, particularly Turkey and Qatar.” “In this context, the Palestinian Authority appears either unable or unwilling to enforce the rule of law and protect the Christian minority.”

Recent events in the Palestinian Authority’s area of ​​control have reinforced these concerns. Earlier this week, a church in Jenin was firebombed and a Christmas tree was set on fire in front of another church. The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded by warning that “hostility towards Christians has increased” under Palestinian Authority rule.

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Although Israel has occasionally witnessed attacks on the Christian community by religious-nationalist extremists accused of destroying religious sites and making verbal attacks on clergy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his Christmas message that Israel is a nation that protects its Christian population.

He stated in part: “Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Christians can practice their faith with full rights and complete freedom. It is a country where Christian pilgrims are welcomed with open arms and deeply appreciated. It is a place where Christians can proudly celebrate their traditions and do so openly without any fear.”

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Christian residents in nearby Beit Jala and Nablus avoid visible festivities for fear of harassment, Zarina said.

Not all Christian leaders in Bethlehem share the same assessment. Pastor Naim Khoury told Israeli news agency TPS-IL that conditions in Bethlehem have improved this year and that he has not seen any attacks linked to the holiday so far. But other activists argue that fear limits what many Christians are willing to say publicly.

“Christians are under great pressure and cannot speak freely,” Shadi Khalloul, founder and CEO of the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association, told TPS-IL. “They are quietly trying to survive.”

This contrast is also reflected in official demographic data. According to figures released this week by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics and reported by TPS-IL, there are approximately 184,200 Christians living in Israel as of Christmas Eve 2025, accounting for approximately 1.9% of the population. The Christian population increased by 0.7 percent in 2024, making Israel one of the few countries in the Middle East where the Christian community continues to grow.

People participate in the 40th annual Christmas parade in Nazareth, Israel, on December 24, 2025. Nazareth, the home of Jesus according to the New Testament, saw the return of Christmas tourism this year after two years when celebrations were muted due to the war in Gaza. Nazareth, in Israel’s Galilee region, is a predominantly Arab town, about a third Christian, with the majority being Muslim. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)

Nazareth is at the center of this growth. The city has the largest Arab Christian population in Israel, with approximately 18,900 residents, according to Israeli government data. It is followed by Haifa and Jerusalem. Most Arab Christians live in the Northern and Haifa regions of Israel; Christian communities here are expanding with increasing levels of education and income.

Heather Johnston, founder and CEO of the US Israel Education Association, said the apparent contrast this Christmas reflects deeper realities.

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Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, attends Christmas celebrations in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)

“The contrast between Nazareth and Bethlehem at Christmas tells a larger story,” Johnston said. “In Nazareth under Israeli rule, Christians are thriving, while in Bethlehem under the Palestinian Authority, the Christian population has been declining for years. This difference speaks volumes about which systems actually protect religious freedom and allow ancient Christian communities to survive.”

This Christmas, lights and carols filled both cities. The question now for Zarina and others is whether international attention will wane when the lights go out, or whether it will mean permanent protection for one of Christianity’s oldest communities.