Jerusalem dispute darkens Nazareth holiday

NAZARETH, Israel – This biblical city known as the childhood home of Jesus is hoping for a Christmas miracle: tourists.

The town’s markets are stocked with Santa hats and green and red stockings but few buyers in the wake of President Trump’s declaration Dec. 6 recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. His announcement departs from an international consensus that Jerusalem’s status should be negotiated in peace talks with Palestinians.

Israel’s tiny, and shrinking, Christian minority already had been facing economic hardships.

“A lot of things are missing for us this year,” said Badia Basha, 66, standing at a small table selling Christmas knickknacks outside Mary’s Well, where Christians believe the Angel Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to the son of God. “Christmas is supposed to bring many performances and singers and visitors that include Christians and also Muslims and Jews to this city, but today there is almost nothing.”

Last week, Nazareth Mayor Ali Salam, a Muslim, canceled a number of Christmas festivities in protest. On Saturday, Salam told reporters that outdoor stalls, the Christmas tree lighting and the citywide parade in Nazareth this Saturday would go on as planned.

Tourism, a crucial component of Nazareth’s economy, has been weak since the 2014 Israeli war in Gaza.

Elias Mattar, chef at the trendy Locanda restaurant in the newly opened Ramada Nazareth Hotel, says that if he had the chance, he would leave the area.

“It’s unreal the extent to which politics enters everything here, even in Nazareth — the symbol of Christianity,” he said. “The situation is not normal.”