Israel's Jews flock to Arab towns for Christmas
Many Arab towns and villages, not necessarily Christian, are now featuring Christmas markets, targeting also Israeli Jewish tourists.
BAQA AL-GHARBIYYEH, Israel — Until a few years ago, Jewish Israelis who wanted to get into the Christmas spirit had to travel to towns with a large Christian population like Haifa and Nazareth. The situation is remarkably different today, with an increasing number of Arab towns and villages are organizing Christmas markets, with invitations to Israelis getting printed in Hebrew, to attract the Jewish population.
The unease about Christmas among the Jewish population in Israel is gradually becoming something from the past. Israelis would travel to Europe to visit Christmas markets, but skipped the holiday markets in their own country.
This year, people can visit towns like Shfaram, Eilabun, Mi’ilya, Fassuta, Yarka, Tarshiha, Nazareth, Jaffa and Haifa to join the celebrations and experience the holiday atmosphere while visiting local Christmas markets. In addition to all the stalls and Christmas trees, there are special holiday performances by artists, singers and choirs.
In other words, Christmas markets in Israel are no longer associated exclusively with the Christian community; they are slowly becoming a holiday destination for Israeli families of other religions.
