As Christmas approaches, it’s vital to look beyond festivities and understand life today in Jesus’ birthplace, Bethlehem, living under constant threat of displacement and violence. Govanhill residents Ruth and Rebecca highlight the work of Tent of Nations, which invites volunteers to act as a protective presence during the olive harvest, helping to reduce some harm from Israeli forces.

*Christmas Crackers with ToN volunteers & the Nassar family (2014)*

Photos and words by Ruth Cape and Rebecca Swanson from Friends of Tent of Nations UK

At this time of year, people sing of a town thousands of miles away. They sing of a town so small it couldn’t possibly fit a young couple desperately searching for a place to bring a special child into the world. They sing of fields of sheep, of stars, of quiet nights that probably were never really that quiet (especially if someone was in the middle of giving birth). At this time of year, people sing of the town of Bethlehem, a town so shrouded in Christmas magic that we often forget it is still a very real place.

What the songs don’t tell us is that Bethlehem is a bustling city brimming with life. The songs don’t tell of the markets, the sandstone apartment buildings, the smell of coffee, za’atar, and fresh pita flowing from corner cafes. They don’t tell of the schools and universities training the next generations of artists, lawyers, filmmakers, clergy, and scholars. They don’t sing of the quiet thrum of daily life, grandpas chatting over a water pipe, the din of construction, or the steady constant of church bells and calls to prayer.

Your nativity scene probably won’t show the walls that wrap around the city like a vice, constricting and reminding today’s Bethlehemites of their status as an occupied people. They probably won’t display the gates, checkpoints, or the hours-long traffic jams, intentionally caused by Israeli military soldiers equal parts high on unchecked power and terrified of the very people they’ve been programmed to dehumanise as terrorists. Your nativity scenes probably won’t display the permits and abuse the Holy Family would have to go through to make their journey today.

Just outside this city, in a location probably recognisable to Mary, Joseph and shepherds watching their sheep, you’ll find a very special place. Tent of Nations is an educational organic farm stewarded by generations of the Nassar family. Despite land ownership documents reaching back to the Ottoman era, this Palestinian Christian family has been embroiled in a 30-year nightmare that is the Israeli military and civil court system to fight for the right to remain on their land. Every year, more Israeli settlements expand onto the hilltops surrounding the farm, more outposts are established, and more of the Nassars’ land is declared a military zone or outright stolen to build settler-only roads. Despite the daily threat of annexation and in the face of growing settler violence, the family continues to live and work out of the conviction “we refuse to be enemies.”

As this year draws to a close, and we start making plans for the year ahead, we invite you - in 2026 - to make your own journey to Bethlehem. Come and spend time in Palestine. Come and watch the land breathe life even under occupation. Come and see what it truly means to embrace the path of creative resistance. Come and see what sumud (Arabic for resilience) is all about.

Tent of Nations welcomes volunteers throughout the year to join them & learn their story, to help with their harvests, to plant trees in their soil, to act as a protective presence, and to be part of a community of people from around the world who encircle this land with a fierce faith in its future.

This Christmas, as we mark the birth of a baby born under the weight of empire and occupation, we’re inviting you to come and stand in solidarity with the very descendants of that boy. Friends of Tent of Nations UK, a UK-based network supporting Tent of Nations, can support you with information & advice. Whether it's your first time in Palestine or your 100th, we hope this coming year gives you the opportunity to experience life at Tent of Nations.

To learn more about the Tent of Nations and apply to volunteer, please visit their website: https://tentofnations.com/

You can contact Friends of Tent of Nations UK with any questions about travel, general advice, or the best falafel spot in Bethlehem on the following platforms:

Email - tonfriendsuk@gmail.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fotonuk

Subscribe to our newsletter - https://tinyurl.com/bdcsvrnb

Ruth - a Govanhill local - and Rebecca are part of the Friends of Tent of Nations UK (FotonUK) steering group. Both have visited & volunteered at Tent of Nations several times over the past 15 years. Rebecca returned from her most recent trip last month.