Christmas returns to Holy Land cities as Bethlehem’s Christian population dwindles, Nazareth remains strong
Christmas celebrations returned this year to both Bethlehem and Nazareth, but the season is unfolding very differently in the two cities that sit at the heart of Christianity — Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and Nazareth, where he lived.
In Nazareth, festivities are broad and confident, rooted in a growing Christian presence in Israel. In Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, celebrations took place again after more than two years of disruption, but against the backdrop of a long-term demographic decline and deep concern within 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 numbers underscore the concern. Christians made up 86% of Bethlehem’s population in 1950, Zarina said. By the last Palestinian census in 2017, they accounted for roughly 10%. He added that since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, at least 142 Christian families have left the Bethlehem area.
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"They saw what happened on Oct. 7 and understood that minorities in this region 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 a sharply different reality, which he said reflects governance and security.
"Nazareth is a completely different situation," Reinstein said. "It’s an indigenous Christian community under the authority of Israel, and it grows every year. It prospers."
Reinstein pointed to economic and social indicators to make his case, noting that while Christians make up for around 2% of Israel’s population, "Christian communities have the highest GDP per capita compared to Jews, Muslims and Druze," he said. "They’re respected, they’re protected, and they have the same rights as everyone else."
Reinstein contrasted that with Bethlehem’s trajectory since the 1990s.
"Since the Oslo accords in the 90s, the Christian community of Bethlehem has been decimated by the Palestinian Authority," Reinstein told Fox News Digital. "Bethlehem was once a city with an overwhelming Christian majority. Today, Christians are around 10% of the population, and they are no longer represented in the municipality. That tells you everything about what has happened there."
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Bethlehem did mark Christmas this year. Crowds gathered in Manger Square, the Christmas tree was lit and religious ceremonies took place at the Church of the Nativity. Local officials framed the celebrations as a sign of resilience and an effort to project normalcy after years of war and economic collapse.
Zarina, however, said the Palestinian Authority’s decision to allow Christmas events this year should be viewed in context.
"In recent months, the Palestinian Authority has sought to reintroduce itself to international public opinion, particularly to the Christian world, through symbolic festive displays such as the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Bethlehem," Zarina said in comments provided to Fox News Digital. "These efforts are meant to market the Palestinian Authority as moderate, especially as discussions continue about Gaza’s future. But events on the ground over just a few days have sharply contradicted that image."
Zarina noted that several incidents targeting Christians occurred within a single week ahead of Christmas, including threats against churches and violent assaults tied to land disputes.
"Christians in these areas are subjected to a systematic policy manifested through harassment, violence, psychological terror, forced displacement and the confiscation of property by extremist families driven by rigid Salafi ideology and supported morally and financially by states known for backing extremist movements, foremost among them Turkey and Qatar," he claimed. "In this context, the Palestinian Authority appears either unable or unwilling to enforce the rule of law and protect the Christian minority."
Recent incidents in the Palestinian Authority area of control have reinforced those concerns. A church in Jenin was firebombed earlier this week and a Christmas tree was set on fire outside another church. Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded by warning of "growing hostility toward Christians" under Palestinian Authority governance.
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And while Israel has occasionally seen attacks against its Christian community by extreme religious-nationalist elements who have been accused of vandalizing religious sites and using verbal assaults aimed at clergy, in his Christmas message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is a nation that looks after 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 in total freedom. Where Christian pilgrims are embraced with open arms and are so deeply appreciated. Where Christians can celebrate proudly their traditions and openly do so without any fear," he said, adding, "The persecution of Christians or members of any religion cannot and must not be tolerated."
Zarina said that Christian residents in nearby Beit Jala and in Nablus avoided visible festivities out of fear of harassment.
Not all Christian leaders in Bethlehem share the same assessment. Pastor Naim Khoury told Israeli news agency TPS-IL that conditions in Bethlehem itself have improved this year and that, so far, he has not seen attacks connected to the holiday. Other activists, however, argue that fear limits what many Christians are willing to say publicly.
"The Christians are under enormous pressure and cannot speak freely," said Shadi Khalloul, founder and CEO of the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association, in comments to TPS-IL. "They are trying to survive quietly."
The 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, approximately 184,200 Christians live in Israel as of Christmas Eve 2025, accounting for about 1.9% of the population. The Christian population grew by 0.7% in 2024, making Israel one of the few countries in the Middle East where the Christian community continues to grow.
Nazareth is at the center of that growth. The city has the largest Arab Christian population in Israel, with roughly 18,900 residents, followed by Haifa and Jerusalem, according to Israeli government data. Most Arab Christians live in Israel’s Northern and Haifa districts, where Christian communities have expanded alongside rising education and income levels.
Heather Johnston, founder and CEO of the U.S. Israel Education Association, said the visible contrast this Christmas reflects deeper realities.
"At Christmas, the contrast between Nazareth and Bethlehem tells a larger story," Johnston said. "Christians are flourishing in Nazareth under Israeli rule, while in Bethlehem, under the Palestinian Authority, the Christian population has been shrinking for years. That difference speaks volumes about which systems actually protect religious freedom and allow ancient Christian communities to endure."
This Christmas, lights and hymns filled both cities. For Zarina and others, the question now is whether international attention will fade once the lights come down, or whether it will translate into lasting protection for one of Christianity’s oldest communities.