A Christmas like no other

2023 the Genocide year.

2023 will be etched in our memories forever - the year a genocide was carried out with the express endorsement of Western regimes intent on cleansing Palestine of Palestinians, slaughtering thousands of children in the process.

Here I will just compile a few items that, for me, are representative of the Evil that is being faced by the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank and the indomitable spirit of the Palestinian people.

First is a beautiful choral solidarity prayer from the children of the Friends of Ramallah School in Ramallah:

Secondly, my dear friend Hussein sent me two new reports from the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza:

Moumen and Moayyad Abu Alkhair, six-year-old twins, are displaced in Khan Younis Training Center. They consistently express their longing for their teacher Hala at UNRWA’s Khan Younis Co-ed School A. In a charming dialogue, they discuss the toys they miss from their home, focusing on their remote-controlled car.

They agree it’s their favorite, but even if they bring it, they won’t be able to charge and play with it due to the lack of electricity or a suitable place to play in the overcrowded shelter.

Born on the night of December 23rd at Nasser Hospital, where the maternity ward witnessed a tragic event, losing a woman's life due to the previous bombings. The babe’s mother recounts the painful experience of displacement and childbirth in challenging circumstances. Labor began after a journey from Gaza to Hamad City in Khan Younis Training Center, where Hoor was born in Nasser Hospital.

The mother describes feelings of fear and panic, starting with her concern for her daughters left in unsafe shelter conditions, and ending with the journey of childbirth and its accompanying risks. Her struggles began with the onset of displacement, intensified by worry for her unborn child and the harsh living conditions.

This family's journey serves as a reminder of the importance of providing essential necessities for pregnant women and new mothers amidst displacement, including a safe place, lighting, clothing, and food.

The mother endures this hardship with her twin daughters, Sama and Hala, and her eldest daughter Afaf. They all face the challenges of displacement, sadly questioning their home and the pink toys they left behind.

****

Thirdly part of the sermon from Pastor Munther Isaac of the Palestinian Lutheran Church in Bethlehem:

Fourth - a short Christmas message from me to you all. Thank you for all that you do for the oppressed of this world:

While Zionist settlers burn Christmas trees in the birthplace of Christ I wish you all a peaceful Christmas day with love, warmth and hope. All the things that the Zionist thugs have stolen from Palestinians for almost a century. May the guns fall silent in this world one day and Humanity find the way back to peace and prosperity. Thank you for following and for caring.

****