The Fifth Activity

Light A Candle for Peace and Freedom

Christmas time is special for Christmas all over the world. For us, Palestinian Christian living in the town of Beit Sahour, Christmas means more. We are the descendants of the shepherds who were the first to receive the good news “Jesus was born in Bethlehem” The Church of Nativity is just a few meters from our home town.

Before 1967, the beginning of the Israeli occupation, Christmas in Bethlehem was ours. We never missed the midnight mass in the Church of Nativity. We danced, cheered and spent all the night in the Manger Square in front of the Church of Nativity. We prayed from inside our hearts “Glory to God and Peace among people”. Christians and Moslems used to celebrate Christmas together. Christmas trees were never absent from their homes.

Occupation did not steal our freedom and land only, it is also looted our Christmas. Sad hearts can never enjoy Christmas. Roadblocks prevented local faith from visiting Jesus in his holy cave. Personal body checking meant to keep us away from Jesus place. Hundreds of heavily armed occupation soldiers converted the churchyard into a battlefield.

“Living Stones”, the indigenous Christian people, are not there any more. For the occupiers Christmas has no spirit. It is only a tourist enterprise. Soldiers and tourists are the only people who were allowed to come to Jesus’ holy place. Local Palestinians felt as strangers in their own land and said, “Jesus is not a Palestinian anymore. He is blond with blue eyes”.

During the Intifada the situation is more Difficult. Even in looking towards the Church from a distance we lose the joy of the moment. Suffering reached no limits. Pain in the hearts was unbearable and roadblocks uncountable.

The desire to celebrate Christmas kept growing in our hearts. Celebration is not only a turkey and a Christmas tree. It is a commitment to love, Peace and Freedom, a commitment to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Approaching the 25th of December 1991 we determined to celebrate Christmas in our own Palestine way. We believed that occupation should not be capable of standing between our Lord and us. They can block the road in front of us but they can never block our hearts.

We thought that if Jesus were here, he would definitely rally for peace, justice and freedom. He would stand with the victim against injustice. With the spirit of Jesus we started planning to celebrate Christmas of this year.

In the name of the people of Beit Sahour, the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People issued an invitation for Palestinian Christians and Moslems, Israelis and Jews and Christians all over the world. In this invitation the Center asked the whole world to join the people of Beit Sahour in lighting a candle for peace and freedom and marching peacefully in the streets of Beit Sahour, starting from The Shepherds’ Field.

The invitation was published in local Israeli and foreign newspapers. Private invitation were sent to Christians, Jewish and Moslem religious leaders, to a few Members of Knesset and to the Israeli peace activist Abee Nathan, who was serving a term in prison for meeting with the PLO chairman.

People of Beit Sahour started the arrangements for the Christmas celebration. Each of us was worried that the occupation authority might stop the celebration either by imposing a curfew on the town or declaring it as a closed military zone or by dispersing the crowed by force. We hoped that the presence of Israelis, foreigners, religious leaders and the media would give us immunity for our celebration. We depend on the fact that during Christmas time, when the entire world is looking towards Bethlehem, the occupation army would not stop or disperse such a peaceful event. I am glad to say we were right.

Is it going to be stormy on the 25th of December? Is it going to rain? Those questions kept coming to our minds.

One priest in Beit Sahour enlightened us that we need not worry because God is on the side of the people working for peace and freedom. During the week before the celebration, the Rapprochement Centre was like a beehive. People were busy making signs in English, Arabic and Hebrew with the following messages:

Others were arranging transportation for Israelis and foreigners, preparing the candles and torches, assigning responsibilities during the march and preparing the stage and microphones for the speakers.

On December 25th, 4:00 p.m. the people of Beit Sahour started gathering in the Shepherds Field. The weather looked nice, a bit cold but not stormy. Young people prepared the fire like the one that the shepherds used to warm themselves up when they received the message 2000 years ago. Half an hour later the guests of the town started arriving. Israelis and Palestinians from other towns in addition to foreigners and religious leaders; more than 3000 people gathered at Shepherds’ Field waiting for the peace rally to start.

300 Israelis including MK Ran Cohen, Mapam activist Latif Duri, representatives of Ratz, Mapam, Peace Now, East for Peace, and few rabies were among the crowd. They and Dozens of foreigners and thousands of Palestinians cheered together and waited for the signal to start the ceremony.

Two army jeeps appeared on the scene. One of them moved through the crowed in a provocative way. People, told from the beginning not to respond to any provocation from the army, stayed calm. Looking at the huge gathering, the army. Left the scene and stayed a distance away. People then relaxed, seeing that the army had decided not to interfere.

The ceremony started at 5:15 p.m. with the Mayor of Beit Sahour inviting some prominent guests and town residents to join him in lighting the first candles for peace and freedom. Gathering around the flame people of Beit Sahour remembered the shepherds their ancestors 2000 years ago. The people cheered at the sight of the first candles twinkling, and started lighting their candles in turn.

The rally started. Almost 3000 candles moving and twinkling in the dark. It was unforgettable. No one can defeat people of good will and determination.

People of the town were still joining the rally as it proceeded. Christmas, national and peace songs made a marvelous concert. Many people could not believe that it could happen. Palestinian Christians felt the spirit of Christmas and looked towards Bethlehem.

The rally reached the Roman Catholic Church yard. Speakers where invited to the stage to address the cheering people.

“In Christmas time we join all peace activists and say: we need to live with dignity and honor in our own state, we reject injustice and oppression and demand peace for everyone” said Mr. Hanna Al-Atrash Mayor of Beit Sahour. The president of the Rapprochement Centre, Mr. Ghassan Andoni, addressed the Palestinians saying, “History has never recorded that People united like you, disciplined like you and striving for peace like you failed in achieving their goals.” He then added addressing the Israelis: “Do you accept coexistence? And I believe many of you do, then we are not your enemies. Your enemy comes from within your society. Your enemy is the one who blocks the way for peace.”

“When my Neighbor lives under colonial repression, without the most basic human rights, I am not free.” said Hillel Barde, an Israeli peace activist. Mr. Latif Duri addressed the people in the name of Abee Nathan who sent a supportive message to the people gathering in Beit Sahour from his prison. Finally Bishop Sameer Qafeeti addressed the people saying: “We do not curse darkness. We are here lighting the candles.”

Waving good-bye to their guests was the hardest part of the program. The army obstructed people moving peacefully towards their buses and their homes. The army stopped a few young people and started abusing them. We all felt that the Christmas celebration would have a sad ending. It needed the intervention of many of our Israeli and foreign guests to rescue the young people from the army. The incident reminded everyone that there is still a lot to do. Enemies of peace and freedom are armed to the teeth with weapons, drunk with power and full of hatred.

The Rapprochement Centre received many letters from people all over the world who could not join the rally but lit candles and prayed for peace and freedom in the Holy Land in small groups in their cities and towns.