Christmas returns to Holy Land cities as Bethlehem’s Christian population dwindles, Nazareth remains strong

Holy Land Christmas returns as Cardinal Pizzaballa leads mass in Bethlehem Pilgrims return as the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, leads Mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. (Reuters) 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. TRUMP HOLDS KEY TO SAVING SYRIA'S VANISHING CHRISTIANS IN CRUCIAL WHITE HOUSE MEETING People gather next to the Christmas tree at Manger Square on the day of Christmas events with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on Christmas Eve, in the Old City of Bethlehem in the West Bank, Dec. 24, 2025. (Mussa Qawasma/Reuters) "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." TRUMP’S WARNING TO NIGERIA OFFERS HOPE TO NATION'S PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS A man wearing Santa Claus costume takes part in the 40th annual Christmas parade heading towards the Basilica of the Annunciation on December 24, 2025 in Nazareth, Israel. Nazareth, the home of Jesus according to the New Testament, has seen a return of Christmastime tourism...

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