Nazareth mayor 'cancels' Christmas in protest of U.S. Jerusalem decision
Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus Christ, will observe a tempered Christmas holiday to protest President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the city's mayor announced in a press conference on Thursday.
While not banning the holiday outright, Mayor Ali Salam said that numerous events will be canceled because the president took the "joy" out of the holiday with his political move, Newsweek reported.
"Our identity and faith aren't up for debate," Mr. Salam said during a press conference Thursday, Newsweek reported. "The decision [by Trump about Jerusalem] has taken away the joy of the holiday, and we will thus cancel the festivities this year."
Nazareth, a Muslim-majority city in Israel, stages a Christmas celebration each year with performances, a holiday market, tree lighting and parade.
It's known as one of the holiest cities in Christianity, the place where the Angel Gabriel told Mary she was pregnant with the son of God, and the city where Jesus was raised.
The Jerusalem Post reported that not all celebrations would be canceled, with the Mayor acknowledging the commercial importance to resident businesses attracting thousands of visitors.
Public performances will not take place but the holiday market, tree lighting and parade will continue, the Post reported.
A statement by the Council of the Arab Orthodox Community in Nazareth, posted on the municipality's Facebook page, read in Arabic that the Christmas tree lighting would be moved to Saturday as a "modest" protest against "the aggressive American decision."
Soon after Mr. Trump made his announcement on Jerusalem last week, officials in the Palestinian-Authority-controlled city of Bethlehem turned off the lights on that city's Christmas tree in protest.
On Friday, protests took place in Nazareth, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and in other Arab-majority cities across Israel and the West Bank.
By Laura Kelly - The Washington Times -
Friday, December 15, 2017
No comments:
Post a Comment