Christmas returns to Bethlehem after two-year pause, with ‘half joy, half sadness’
Bethlehem, occupied West Bank: Christmas celebrations returned to Bethlehem after a two-year suspension, on Wednesday evening. Scout troupes marched through Manger Square and surrounding streets, with carols, drums and brass music, blending Christian tradition with Palestinian cultural identity.
The gathering on Christmas Eve drew around 1,500 people, including local residents, Palestinians from across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and foreign visitors. For many, the revival of public celebrations carried deep emotional weight in a city revered as the birthplace of Jesus, after two years in which festivities were halted in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Among those present was Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, the highest-ranking Catholic cleric in Palestine. Addressing the crowd, he said Bethlehem had chosen to be a symbol of hope for the world. Referring to his recent visit to Gaza, Pizzaballa recalled witnessing widespread destruction alongside a strong will to live and said Palestinians would rebuild and celebrate again despite devastation.
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Israeli military raids and checkpoints remained in place across the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces arrested three young men from the Dheisheh and Aida refugee camps near Bethlehem just hours before the festivities began.
George Zalloum, a Palestinian Christian from occupied East Jerusalem, said the atmosphere carried both celebration and sorrow. He noted that people in Gaza continues to die, but expressed his hope that the war would end and peace would return to the Holy Land.
According to a BBC report, several visitors said they waited for hours at Israeli checkpoints despite living relatively close to the city. Hussam Zraiqat, who travelled from Birzeit near Ramallah, said the journey was difficult due to prolonged delays. Ghassan Rizqallah from the village of Jifna described waiting more than an hour and a half before being allowed to enter.
Rizqallah told BBC, watching the scout bands and hearing traditional music revived memories of Palestine’s past and reinforced the belief that its people deserved safety and peace.
BBC quoted Bethlehem’s mayor, Maher Canawati, saying that celebrations carried a message beyond the city, describing them as a statement of steadfastness and hope for Bethlehem, Gaza and all Palestinians. He said the event conveyed to the world that Palestinians value life and peace and remain rooted in their land.
Bethlehem’s hotels, many of which had been closed for nearly two years, reopened to receive visitors. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism, hotel occupancy had remained at about 25 percent for much of the year. Elias al-Arja, head of the Palestinian Hotel Association, said losses had reached around $300m, but occupancy rose to 80 percent during the Christmas period, with roughly 8,000 visitors arriving, including Palestinian citizens of Israel and tourists from Europe and the United States.
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Some visitors came specifically to witness the celebrations. Dwayne Jefferson, who travelled from North Carolina in the United States, said the return of Christmas in Bethlehem offered hope that normal life could resume across the region. Jean Charles, visiting from Italy for the first time, described the celebrations as meaningful for all Palestinians, noting the presence of both Christians and Muslims in the square.
For local businesses around Manger Square, the day offered cautious optimism rather than recovery. George Ejha, owner of St Georges Restaurant, said activity had improved compared to recent months but remained far below pre-war levels. Souvenir shop owner Jack Jaqman told BBC, visitor numbers were still insufficient to revive the economy fully, though the celebrations showed Bethlehem’s readiness to welcome pilgrims and tourists again.
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Karnataka MLA Vinay Kulkarni disqualified after conviction in Goudar murder case
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Saturday issued an official notification regarding the disqualification of Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni following his conviction in the murder case of BJP leader Yogeshgouda Goudar.
The former minister is currently in prison, serving life imprisonment in the case.
“Consequent upon the conviction of Vinay Kulkarni, Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly representing the Dharwad constituency, by the LXXXI Additional City Civil & Sessions Judge, Bengaluru City (CCH-82), in Spl CC No. 565/2021, he stands disqualified from the membership of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from the date of conviction, i.e, April 15, 2026,” the notification read.
“He stands disqualified in terms of the provisions of Article 191(1)(e) of the Constitution of India, read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and such disqualification shall continue for a further period of six years after his release, unless the conviction is stayed by a competent court,” it added.
Hence, one seat in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly has fallen vacant, the notification said.
Bypolls were held on April 9 to fill two other seats in the 224-member Assembly that fell vacant due to the death of sitting MLAs. The results will be declared on May 4.
On April 15, Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat convicted Kulkarni and others under various IPC sections, including criminal conspiracy and murder. Subsequently, on April 17, the court sentenced Kulkarni and 15 others convicted in the case to life imprisonment.
The case pertains to the killing of Goudar, a BJP Zilla Panchayat member, in Dharwad on June 15, 2016. Kulkarni was a minister at that time. Hired assailants attacked and hacked Goudar to death in his gym at Saptapur in Dharwad.
Following demands from Goudar’s family and others, the then-BJP government transferred the case to the CBI in 2019.
The CBI filed a supplementary chargesheet in 2020, naming Vinay Kulkarni as the “main conspirator.” It alleged that he perceived Yogeshgouda Goudar as a growing political rival in Dharwad and hired contract killers to eliminate him.
Kulkarni was arrested by the CBI in 2020. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court in August 2021 under certain conditions, including a ban on entering Dharwad district. However, in June 2025, the apex court cancelled his bail following allegations of witness tampering and attempts to influence prosecution witnesses.
Kulkarni again sought bail in January 2026, but the High Court rejected it, citing judicial propriety.
However, the Supreme Court granted him bail on February 27 after noting that all witnesses had been examined.
