John,

Church leaders in Jesus’s birthplace decided to cancel Christmas festivities this year. Reverend Munther Isaac, who leads a church in Bethlehem in the West Bank, said: “It's impossible to celebrate when our people are going through a genocide.”

At his church, he set up a nativity scene featuring baby Jesus amidst rubble and wearing a keffiyeh. He said:

“If Christ were to be born today, he would be born under the rubble and Israeli shelling. This is a powerful message we send to the world celebrating the holidays.”

Isaac traveled from the West Bank to Washington D.C. last month to meet with Congress and the Biden administration.

He delivered a letter to President Biden from Bethlehem’s Christian leaders, which says: “We want a constant and comprehensive cease-fire. Enough death. Enough destruction. This is a moral obligation… This is our call and prayer this Christmas.”

Palestine includes the oldest Christian communities in the world, and the Christian residents of Gaza could be entirely wiped out from the relentless bombing.

Two months ago, Israel’s government dropped a bomb on Gaza’s oldest church, where hundreds were sheltering inside.

One survivor said: “We thought we would be protected by the church but unfortunately the brutal Israeli occupation does not differentiate. They have targeted churches, mosques and hospitals. There is no safe place.”

That bomb killed 18 people who were seeking shelter, including a baby and young relatives of former Congressman Justin Amash, a fellow Palestinian American.

With U.S. help and U.S. bombs, Israel’s government has killed more than 20,000 Palestinians in the past few months. Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are suffering from forced starvation, dehydration, and displacement.

President Biden could end this devastation. Instead, he’s sending more U.S. bombs to Israel’s military, and blocking or watering down UN resolutions for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid.

As Palestinian leaders wrote in the letter to Biden that Isaac delivered: “It is time everybody can live with dignity in this land. The Palestinian and Israeli children deserve to live, hope and dream.”

I will keep working for real lasting peace that upholds the human rights and dignity of all people. This holiday season, may we honor the sacredness of all life and continue to push for a world where all children can live in safety and freedom.

In solidarity and love,

Rashida