Driving the news:
Israeli police carried out arrests late Tuesday during Christmas festivities in Haifa, a city in the occupied Palestinian territories, targeting Palestinian participants in celebrations traditionally held in the predominantly Arab neighborhood of Wadi al-Nisnas.
Key points:
- Several Palestinians were detained by Israeli police during Christmas celebrations in Haifa.
- Among those arrested was a Palestinian wearing a Santa Claus costume.
- The incident took place during nighttime festivities in Wadi al-Nisnas.
- Christmas celebrations there have increasingly come under Israeli police surveillance in recent years.
- This year’s events unfolded amid Israeli acts of aggression across parts of West Asia.
Why it matters:
The arrests underscore mounting pressure on Palestinian religious and cultural expression, even during major Christian holidays, highlighting broader restrictions imposed by Israeli regime on Palestinian communities under occupation.
The big picture:
Christmas celebrations for Palestinians and Christians in the region are taking place under intense security control and social constraints imposed by the Israeli regime.
Go deeper:
For centuries before the establishment of the Israeli regime, Muslims and Christians in historic Palestine lived side by side in peace, enjoying religious freedom and communal coexistence — a reality increasingly undermined by occupation policies, restrictions, and securitization of public life.
Zohre Khazaee - A.Akbari
