Palestinians mark Christmas in Bethlehem while navigating life during conflict

William Brangham:

Today, thousands of people flocked to Bethlehem's Manger Square. It's the spot where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born.

It's in the occupied West Bank, and celebrations were canceled the last two years because of the Israel-Hamas war. For Palestinians who live in Bethlehem and work in Jerusalem, the distance is not far, about five miles, but taking the bus this short way sometimes becomes an ordeal.

"News Hour" producer Karl Bostic looks at what life is like for Palestinians who live there.

Karl Bostic:

In Bethlehem, this bus is loading up with passengers to take them to work in Jerusalem, but they may already be late for work.

This is the bus you take in the morning?

Ruba Mahdi, Nurse:

Yes.

Karl Bostic:

How long have you been doing that?

Ruba Mahdi:

Five years.

Karl Bostic:

Ruba Mahdi is a nurse at a Jerusalem hospital who specializes in dialysis treatment, but it's the ride to work before she can even think about what the day will bring at the hospital that makes her more anxious, what it will be like this morning at the checkpoint into Israel.

Despite leaving so early, she already thinks she may be late.

Ruba Mahdi (through interpreter):

Almost every day, we're late for our jobs at the hospital. Also, we could wait for a long time in this cold weather, and it's possible that they ask us to exit the bus even while it's raining, so they can search it. So we always worry about our morning journey to our job with all of these checkpoints.

Karl Bostic:

And it's what can happen at a checkpoint that can cause so much anxiety and change everything.

Ruba Mahdi (through interpreter):

There was a person who used to work in the hospital and was posting on Facebook during the war. The Israelis canceled her permission, so she can't work here anymore.

Karl Bostic:

Do you even feel like it's Christmas?

Ruba Mahdi (through interpreter):

This year is better than before, but not like it used to be before the war. But, this year, at least we feel better.

Karl Bostic:

This time, it wasn't too bad. Everyone got off the bus and they showed their I.D.s and special permission papers to work in Israel, despite the war. It took about 20 minutes. Ruba was relieved. She navigates between two worlds, the harsh reality of life in the occupied West Bank, including Bethlehem, and working in Israel, especially at this time of year.

In these last few days leading up to Christmas, normally, this Manger Square here in Bethlehem would be packed with thousands of people, instead, today, only a few hundred. And, also, buses, you would have more than 100 buses pulling up to Bethlehem today, and, instead, less than a dozen.

The giant Christmas tree in Nativity Square stands lonely. Hotels are struggling to survive, like this shuttered four-star hotel next to the square. In the case of Joseph Giacaman, business has collapsed during the war. Only family pride that's part of Bethlehem's history is keeping it open.

Joseph Giacaman, Woodcarver:

And this has a lot of work, now nobody., Maybe, some time, one bus comes, two buses. They come from here, people who live here, but not tourists, not tourists.

Karl Bostic:

So you hope the war will end soon?

Ashraf, Falafel Chef:

Yes, of course. We don't like it. We don't like it. We need to stop.

Karl Bostic:

Bethlehem's Mayor Maher Canawati, who is an American citizen, is numb from citing the cost of war in Bethlehem.

Maher Canawati, Mayor of Bethlehem, West Bank: I tell you, before the war, we had approximately 2.5 million visitors and pilgrims coming and coming through the Church of the Nativity. After the war, we haven't had more than 1,000 a year. That's a complete collapse. Definitely, it was. It was catastrophic.

Karl Bostic:

That is the reality Ruba tries to put behind her, at least while she's at work. And she begins her day with eagerness, but must wait for news of the patients she's expecting to see.

Dr. Khadra Salameh, Augusta Victoria Hospital:

So this is our regular day. We are waiting for patients, as usual, to come to the peritoneal dialysis to do our regular checkup for these patients. But, unfortunately, we can't predict the arrival because they're waiting for checkpoints and maybe they are forbidden to come to these checkpoints, they have to go to another checkpoint. And we are waiting.

Karl Bostic:

Because Augusta Victoria Hospital provides cancer and kidney treatment for Palestinians from the West Bank and, until the war began, Gazans, Ruba has become used to this unpredictability, accepting it with grace. But that doesn't make it any easier on her family.

Ruba Mahdi (through interpreter):

Of course, there are challenges to coming here every day, but we need to do it. After the war, there were less jobs in the West Bank, especially that my husband is working in tourism, and we have no tourism anymore. No tourists are coming anymore. So I have to work and support my family so we can live.

Karl Bostic:

But Ruba also thinks about the satisfaction she has by working at the hospital.

Ruba Mahdi (through interpreter):

It's true that we leave in the early morning to the hospital leaving our homes, our children and suffer in the checkpoint. But, honestly, I'm satisfied when I come to the hospital and help my patients.

Karl Bostic:

Augusta Victoria Hospital has its own church for staff and patients. Ruba is Christian and, when she can, she visits to say prayer for family and for peace.

After a long day of work and returning through checkpoints, Ruba is back home in Bethlehem. It's quality time with her family. Her daughter, Rain (ph), is waiting for her and so is dinner. At this time of year, the quality time includes a visit to the Church of the Nativity. Visitors still try to pay homage to the birthplace of Jesus, even while there is a war.

And, inside, tradition remains untouched for Christmas. The superior of the Armenian church descends the staircase to the grotto, where Jesus was born to conduct a ceremony for his birth. And for this Christmas, he's optimistic about these times.

Has the spirit of Christmas come out?

Father Asbed Balian, Superior, Armenian Apostolic Church, Bethlehem:

We can say yes. Yes. For the last few years, we didn't feel it because of the war, because of the corona before that. So, this year, it seems like yes.

Karl Bostic:

Ruba and Fadi (ph) are preparing their daughter, Rain, for her second Christmas, so that she will grow with love, faith and hope, and, as she grows, she will know there remains a joy to this world.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Karl Bostic in Bethlehem.