Loading ...All I Still Want for Christmas Is a Ceasefire
By: Stephanie Abraham /Arab America Contributing Writer
At this time last year, Arab America published my piece “Cancel Christmas?, which announced that Christmas would not be celebrated publicly in the Holy Land. This meant that those of us in the diaspora who celebrate the religious and cultural holiday that marks the birth of Jesus could enjoy it as usual. At the same time, the space surrounding the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank of Palestine—the actual birthplace of Jesus—was dark.
I named the pain of this disparity and offered options to thoughtfully partake in the holiday with an eye toward stopping the U.S.-backed Israeli war on Gaza. I recommended heeding the call of the Christian leadership in the region, who had asked people to stand in solidarity with the afflicted and to advocate for and give generously to them.
The piece hit a nerve—in a good way—and was swiftly republished as “All I Want for Christmas Is a Ceasefire,” by Yes! Magazine and “This Christmas, All I Want Is a Ceasefire” by Truthdig. Readers thanked me for acknowledging the paradox and its unbearableness and for offering concrete options specific to the season.
This week, many news sources have reported that over the last 14 months, there have been over 45,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries in Gaza. We know this assessment is dangerously low, especially when considering that the healthcare system in Gaza collapsed and Israel systematically cut off water and food supplies.
Now, a year later, how can I even say that I want a ceasefire for Christmas? Even naming it feels obscene because a ceasefire has always been—and continues to be—the bare minimum. As stated in the Amnesty International report, “‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza,” published on Dec. 5: “Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now.” We need an immediate stop to the genocide and so much more.
In a Christmas message on Dec. 13, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem stated that the ceasefire “between two of the warring parties in our region,” referring to Lebanon and Israel, needed to be expanded into Gaza and other places.
They also reiterated their plea for the following:
- “Release of all prisoners and captives,
- Return of the homeless and displaced,
- Treatment of the sick and wounded,
- Relief of those who hunger and thirst,
- Restoration of unjustly seized or threatened properties and the
- Rebuilding all public and private civilian structures damaged or destroyed.”
Additionally, last week, Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, unveiled the annual nativity scene at the Vatican featuring baby Jesus on a kaffiyeh. This traditional scarf is considered a symbol of Palestinian culture, identity, and liberation. The figures of the Holy Family were carved from olive wood. After the nativity was shown, a mass for peace and a ceasefire in Palestine was held.
Thus, it’s clear that Christmas continues to offer an opportunity to shed light on and advocate for Palestine, to find ways to stand in solidarity, to lean into the true meaning of the holiday, to turn away from consumerism, and to give.
Here are a few resources:
- Buy gifts for loved ones that support Palestinian human rights and equality, not Israeli Apartheid: Shop Palestine, Arab American National Museum Store, Jewish Voice for Peace: 20 Gifts that Support Justice for Palestinians
- And for the book lovers, free Palestine reading lists: Decolonize Palestine, Haymarket Books, Lit Hub, Verso
- Palestinian Feminist Collective Resources: All Out for Palestine: Digital Action Toolkit and Handala’s Return: A Children’s Story and Workbook
- Consider forgoing gift exchanges or giving to a non-profit in the name of a loved one. Here are a handful that could use your support: UNRWA USA National Committee, Middle East Children Alliance, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights.
Learn about and join the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Stephanie Abraham is a nonfiction writer, media critic, and public relations practitioner. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, and she was part of the editorial collective that founded the feminist magazine Make/shift and the founding editor of the feminist magazine LOUDmouth. She is the senior marketing communications specialist at Cal Poly Pomona. Please find more information and contact her via her website.
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