Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
Jerusalem is getting ready for Christmas.
The Jerusalem Municipality distributed approximately 350 Christmas trees to residents free of charge on Thursday. Residents gathered at the New Gate in the Old City to receive their trees.
The municipality has also installed festive decorations and Christmas lights in various locations, including the Old City’s Christian Quarter and the area around the Bethlehem crossing.
Additionally, the city goverment has stepped up cleaning and landscaping efforts in these areas, as tens of thousands are set to begin descending on the area this weekend.
The Jerusalem Municipality “extends its best wishes to its Christian residents and visitors for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” according to a statement.
About 2% of Israelis are Christian, and the community is expected to continue to grow at an annual rate of over 1%, according to official statistics.
About 190,000 Christians lived in Israel as of Christmas 2023, reflecting a 1.3% increase over the previous year.
Seventy-five percent of the Christians in Israel are Arabs. But while Christians are flourishing under democracy in the Jewish state, it’s a different story in Bethlehem which is having a subdued celebration this year.
In September, the Conference of Presidents of Christian Organizations in Support of Israel launched in the United States, with its founders saying they’re modeling the body after the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
Across Israel, other cities are also in full Christmas swing. From Nazareth to Haifa and Naf HaGalil, Christmas parades, markets and services are taking place. Haifa and Nazareth host huge Christmas trees in their city squares.
–JNS.org and Metro Voice
