Nazareth Mayor Protests Trump’s Jerusalem Move By Cancelling Christmas Celebrations

Jerusalem, 14 December, 2017 (TPS) -- Update, December 17: Brotherly Covenant said Sunday that Nazareth Mayor Ali Salam bowed to local pressure and reversed his decision to cancel Christmas celebrations in the city. The group praised Salam for recognising that he had “made a mistake.”

“The time has come for Christians, the overwhelming majority of whom respect the State of Israel and consider themselves partners in building it, will not be held hostage by individuals with radical political agendas, in either the Arab or Christian communities.

“We also call on the mayor of Kfar Kanna to reverse his decision and to cancel the celebrations,” the group said in a statement.

Nazareth city officials said Thursday that no Christmas celebrations would be held in the Arab Christian city, traditionally considered by Christians to be the birth site of Jesus, in order to protest US President Donald Trump announcement last week that the United States would recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Nazareth Mayor Ali Salam said in a statement that Trump’s statement spurred him to cancel the celebrations in solidarity with the Palestinian Authority. “This is the natural reaction toa  decision that impacts our nation and Jerusalem,” Salim told a conference in the city. “We are part of one single people… (Trump’s comments removed) “all the joy” from the holiday period.

Brotherly Covenant, a local organization that promotes Christian Arab-Israeli identity and encourages Christian Arab citizens to serve in the IDF, called the decision a “cynical move to take advantage of Christian residents” that would harm Christians both in Israel and around the world.

“(Cancelling the celebrations) will harm the city’s economy as well interfaith relations. We plan on asking the finance minister to look for ways to transfer funds away from the City of Nazareth in favor of groups that work to mark the holidays as well as for co-existence,” the group said.