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Trump launches Christmas night airstrikes on ISIS 'Terrorist Scum' in Nigeria after killings of Christians
President Donald Trump said the U.S. launched airstrikes in northwest Nigeria on Christmas night targeting ISIS militants he accused of killing Christians, calling the operation decisive and warning further attacks would follow if the violence continues.
‘GENOCIDE CAN’T BE IGNORED’: GOP LAWMAKER BACKS TRUMP’S THREAT OF MILITARY ACTION IN NIGERIA
"Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!" Trump said Thursday on Truth Social. "I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
"Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper," he continued. "May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues."
Pro Bowl center's NFL future in jeopardy after sixth concussion of career
Pro Bowl offensive lineman Ryan Kelly’s career could be in jeopardy after he was placed on injured reserve for his third concussion this season.
Kelly, 32, played eight games with the Minnesota Vikings this season, but the third concussion in 2025 marked the sixth of his career, possibly putting his NFL future in question, according to ESPN.
The center suffered the injury when he collided with New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke in Week 16. Kelly was wearing a Guardian Cap for an extra layer of protection.
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"Ryan Kelly more than likely will be out this week. He's doing well, where his symptoms and things are at. Obviously, disappointed that it happened," Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said.
"And going back and taking a look at, not only the play, but the sequences during the play, after play, if there was anything we could have avoided in there. But, no, just part of the game. And Ryan knows that.
SAQUON BARKLEY REVEALS HE 'COULDN'T STAND' NICK SIRIANNI BEFORE JOINING EAGLES
"So much respect for Ryan as a player and the way he took the amount of time he did and was fighting to get back on the field and felt ready to go. And we were holding back a little bit beyond that. And then, when he returned to the field, the impact he's had on our offense over these last few games have been massive. So, we need Jurgs (Michael Jurgens) to step up and play a huge role for us. And I know Ryan's going to do everything he can to help Jurgs get ready to go."
O’Connell was noncommittal on whether Kelly would play against the Green Bay Packers in the season's final game.
The Indianapolis Colts selected Kelly with the No. 18 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. He started all 16 games that year. He played nine years with the Colts and earned all of his Pro Bowl selections with the team.
The Vikings have had to deal with numerous injuries the entire season. Entering its game against the Detroit Lions, Minnesota was 7-8.
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What to watch Christmas: Family-friendly movies to stream this holiday
Christmas is a time to get together with loved ones and get cozy with a cup of hot chocolate.
In addition to listening to Christmas music and baking holiday cookies, families can gather around the TV and watch a movie filled with holiday cheer, as they wait for Santa to drop off their presents on Christmas Eve.
Here are a few family-friendly movies to enjoy with your loved ones on Christmas, now streaming on Tubi.
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"Jingle All the Way" is the perfect Christmas movie for anyone looking to learn the true meaning of the holiday.
In the movie, workaholic dad Howard Langston, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is looking to make amends with his wife and son, so he sets out to find his son's dream Christmas present, Turbo-Man, on Christmas Eve.
Along the way, he runs into a fellow dad, played by Sinbad, who quickly becomes his rival, as he is also looking for the toy. Through all the trials he faces while trying to get the gift, Schwarzenegger's character comes to learn the true meaning of Christmas.
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"Black Nativity" is a family-friendly movie that teaches the value of faith and family.
Starring Jacob Latimore as a teenager living with his single mother – played by Jennifer Hudson – he decides to travel to New York City to spend the holidays with his estranged family members, played by Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett.
After realizing he can't abide by his family's rules, he leaves to go back home to his mom, learning many valuable lessons along the way.
"The spiritual side, the church element, drew me to the film," Hudson told The Christian Post in November 2013. "I grew up in the church, I'm a holiday fanatic and a family fanatic. I feel as though we're missing those things.
Tyler Perry created another hit when he starred in "Tyler Perry's a Madea Christmas."
In the movie, Madea travels to a small town with her niece, Eileen, to visit Eileen's daughter, Lacey, who, for an unknown reason, refuses to come home for Christmas.
Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston teamed up to make the 1996 Christmas classic, "The Preacher's Wife."
In the film, Washington plays an angel sent to Earth to help a struggling minister, but ends up falling for the reverend's wife, played by Houston.
The movie is a remake of the popular 1947 film, "The Bishop's Wife," and was known for the soundtrack which was co-produced by Houston.
Here are the must-watch Christmas movies streaming on Fox Nation.
"Christmas at the Greenbrier" tells the story of a former couple finding their way back to each other.
In the movie, a retired professional football player Ben (Josh Murray) unexpectedly crosses paths with his former flame Abby, played by Alicia Leigh Willis, at the historic luxury resort The Greenbrier, during the holidays. After their relationship was derailed by his career years earlier, the two must decide if they are willing to risk their hearts for the second time.
'CHRISTMAS AT THE GREENBRIER' STAR JOSH MURRAY ON GETTING A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE
Murray told Fox News Digital that he related to the characters of Ben and Abby after getting another chance at love.
"Ben and Abby had a strong connection in the past that didn't work out," Murray said. "They parted ways, they moved away. And they have this chance."
He continued, "And, you know, there's fear. There's fear that it's going to fail. That the same thing is going to happen. That they're going to get hurt again. We want to try to learn our lesson and avoid that pain. But sometimes we have to take the risk of that second chance to have a different outcome."
"Christmas In Big Sky Country" is another must-watch holiday romance movie.
The movie focuses on the community in Big Sky country, who are nervous about a recent power outage on an oil rig. Becca Collins, played by Rebecca Dalton, is one of the locals who is worried about the safety of her brother-in-law on the rig.
In order to lift the town's spirits during the holidays, the oil company sends their PR rep, Logan (Olivier Renaud), into town. After meeting Logan, Becca begins to fall for the PR executive, but as time goes on she begins to wonder if he's trying to help those on the rig or just help protect his company.
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Kelsey Grammer stars alongside his daughter for the first time in the Christmas movie "The 12 Days of Christmas Eve."
Similar to "Groundhog Day," the movie stars Kelsey as Brian Conway, a successful businessman, who is given 12 chances by Santa Claus to relive the same day until he's able to repair his relationships with his loved ones and find out what Christmas is truly about.
Kelsey and his real-life daughter Spencer Grammer play fictional father and daughter in the movie.
Justin Bieber says faith in Jesus healed him after music industry ‘didn’t always protect my soul’
Justin Bieber is reflecting on his faith in Jesus this holiday season.
The singer took to Instagram ahead of Christmas, reflecting on how lost he once felt in the music industry while navigating fame.
"Christmas time is that time to reflect and ask yourself what you really want. What truly fulfills?" the 31-year-old captioned one of the posts.
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In a note shared with his 292 million followers, Bieber described growing up in "a system that rewarded my gift but didn’t always protect my soul."
"There were moments I felt used, rushed, shaped into something I didn’t fully choose," the star admitted. "That kind of pressure leaves wounds you don’t see on stage.
"I’ve carried anger," wrote Bieber. "I’ve asked God why. But Jesus keeps meeting me in the middle of the pain — not excusing what hurt me but teaching me how not to become bitter."
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The "Love Song" artist had his breakthrough with his 2009 EP "My World." He was 15 years old. He rose to superstardom in 2010.
"I’ve been through pain that shaped me before I had the words to name it," Bieber wrote. "I was in a system that took more than it protected. But I’m not speaking as someone still broken — I’m speaking as someone Jesus has already healed.
"What happened to me was real," he explained. "But it doesn’t get the final word. Jesus didn’t just help me cope — He restored my identity. I’m not a product. I’m not what the industry demanded. I’m a son. Because I’m healed, I can forgive — not to excuse injustice, but to make sure it doesn’t keep reproducing itself through me.
"I don’t want to burn the music industry down," he stressed. "I want to see it made new — safer, more honest, more human."
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In August 2024, Bieber and his wife, model Hailey Baldwin Bieber, welcomed their first child, a son named Jack Blues Bieber. The couple married in 2018. He has previously spoken about his struggles with childhood fame.
"Jesus didn’t just heal me for myself," Bieber wrote on social media. "He healed me so I could help change what once hurt me... I didn’t come out of this untouched. I grew up inside a system that took more than it guarded. The pain was real — but it doesn’t define me anymore. Jesus does... I’m not speaking as a victim still bleeding — I’m speaking as someone restored."
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Bieber shared similar sentiments in another Instagram post, including two selfies accompanied by an emoji of two people hugging.
"Because I’m healed, I can forgive," he wrote. "Not to pretend injustice didn’t happen, but so it doesn’t keep living through me. I don’t want revenge. I want redemption."
Earlier this month, Bieber shared a Reel on Instagram showing him revisiting the site where he filmed the music video for his 2010 single "Baby." He tagged the friends who joined him.
"This is what happened," he wrote.
Saquon Barkley reveals he 'couldn't stand' Nick Sirianni before joining Eagles
Saquon Barkley embodied the rivalry between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles when he was running the football for Big Blue before the 2024 season.
Barkley played for the Giants from 2018 to 2023 and admitted Wednesday he was no fan of Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni during that time.
But now that he torments defenses as part of Philadelphia, he can’t get enough of Sirianni.
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"I couldn't stand that mother-bleeper," Barkley said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. "I could not."
He was specifically referring to when the Eagles eliminated the Giants from the playoffs during the 2022 season, the last time New York reached the postseason. He said Sirianni relishing the victory for the cameras was something that didn’t sit well with him.
"And that kind of stuck with me for a very long time. And, so, I wasn't a fan of him," he added.
Now, it’s totally different.
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Barkley said Sirianni "doesn’t get a lot of respect," and his attention to detail is why the coach has had so much success with Philadelphia.
Sirianni took over as head coach in 2021 after a stint with the Indianapolis Colts as offensive coordinator. Since then, the Eagles have not had a losing season and played in two Super Bowls, winning one over the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this year.
Sirianni is 58-25 in 83 games and 6-3 in the playoffs.
The Eagles have two more games left in the regular season before heading back to the postseason. Philadelphia had already clinched the NFC East title.
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Florida man kills wife, shoots stepdaughter over NFL game argument before taking own life
A Florida man shot and killed his wife and shot his stepdaughter earlier this week before fatally shooting himself after an argument over an NFL game, authorities said.
Jason Kenney, 47, took his own life hours after killing his wife, Crystal Kenney, Dec. 22, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference.
Judd said the murder occurred after Crystal Kenney suggested to her husband that he turn off Monday’s NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts.
Jason Kenney had been drinking, and the argument escalated, prompting his wife to tell her 12-year-old son to call 911.
The boy ran to a neighbor’s home when he heard gunshots. Responding deputies found Crystal Kenney dead and a 13-year-old girl who had been shot in the shoulder and face.
She is recovering in a hospital.
"She said, ‘I begged him, don’t shoot me, don’t shoot me, don’t shoot me, and he shot me anyway,’" Judd said.
The boy was unharmed, as was Jason and Crystal’s 1-year-old daughter, who was home at the time of the shooting. She was found by deputies asleep in her crib.
After the shooting, Jason Kenney fled and called his sister, who lives in upstate New York, Judd said. He told her he had "done something" wrong and that it would be the last time they would talk.
He then drove to his father’s home, where deputies found him. As deputies attempted to get him out of a shed, Jason fatally shot himself, Judd said.
During a search of the family’s home, deputies found a note Crystal wrote to her husband urging him to get help.
"You’re drinking, you’re using cocaine again. This is not the way the family should be. You need God," the note states, Judd said.
The surviving children are in the custody of grandparents.
"The entire family was destroyed," Judd said. "Our homicide detectives are distraught. When you go in there, there is a beautiful Christmas tree with lots of Christmas presents under it, just like the nuclear family should be."
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers reacts to teammate's fan altercation, talks rise of negative interactions
Pittsburgh Steelers star Aaron Rodgers opened up about the altercation between DK Metcalf and a Detroit Lions fan on Wednesday after the wide receiver was suspended for two games.
Rodgers was talking to reporters and was asked whether a Lions fan had ever heckled him or made him feel a particular way over the years.
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"Probably, I mean, I don't have real relationships with any of those fans. Kind of by sight, there's always a lot of different things that are said, some things that are benign, and some things that aren't. I think there's a mindset that you pay for a ticket, you say whatever the heck you want. I think there should be some code of conduct. Obviously, that was intentional, and I think there was some celebration afterwards on his part.
"Obviously, don't condone what DK [Metcalf] did. I understand, you know, there's been a lot of crazy comments said my way over the years. The truth is that that would never happen face to face. You know, even some of the people that hate me the most in the cities that I've played against over the years, especially in the NFC North, it's always pretty cordial when you see some of those people out and about. But in that setting, you know, there's a lot of things that are said. There's two sides to every story. And I support DK. I'll continue to support DK. And this point that happened."
Rodgers said there were several factors as to why negative fan interactions have escalated over the years.
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He pointed to how fantasy football, sports gambling and social media use, while has some good, has all increased and come out of the shadows and into normal life.
"At the same time, as you see in parts of society erode, shall we say, maybe the conduct has changed a little bit over the years," Rodgers said. "Now I'm all for good trash talk and, you know, Dawg Pound (in Cleveland) they got a great fan base. I love the banter with the fans. I was bantering with the fan in the stands the other day. He was yelling a bunch of stuff at me, and his voice cracked. I was teasing about that, but there's a line, I think there's a line that shouldn't be crossed.
"You don't hear a lot of that playing in Lambeau over the years. Those are some of the nicest fans you could possibly imagine. You're a visiting fan, you walk around the Lombardi there, you find your way into a tailgate. You probably have a beer in your hand, maybe PBR and brat, not the same everywhere across the league."
The Steelers will be without Metcalf for the rest of the season as Pittsburgh tries to clinch the AFC North.
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Biden nearly invisible in own Christmas family photo as Hunter takes center stage
Former President Joe Biden shared a family photo on social media on Christmas Eve, sparking online criticism after he appeared partially visible in the image while son Hunter stood front and center.
The photo shows several members of the Biden family standing in front of a decorated Christmas tree, with Hunter positioned prominently in the foreground.
Former first lady Jill Biden is also in the image, standing in front of the former president with her head partially obstructing his face. All other family members appear fully framed and clearly visible.
In the X post accompanying the image, Biden wrote, "Wishing you a peaceful and joyful Christmas Eve filled with joy."
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The post did not address the framing of the photo, and representatives for Biden did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The image circulated widely on social media following its release, with users commenting on the positioning and composition of the family members shown.
One person posted a close-up of Biden’s face, writing, "Took me a while to find ya, champ."
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Another commenter wrote, "I think it’s disrespectful to put the eldest family member in the back of a photo taken for the former president’s social media."
Appearing to compare the image to a Where’s Waldo? scene, one person wrote, "Where’s Joe?"
Another user asked Biden in the comments, "Why are you in the back, blocked by Jill?"
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Other users questioned why Hunter was positioned so prominently in the photo, with some comments focusing specifically on his placement.
One person wrote, "Hunter is the alpha now."
Additional posts shared altered versions of the image, depicting Hunter either shirtless or with a white substance under his nose.
"Wishing you and your entire family (specially your son) a white Christmas," one user wrote.
Not all the comments were critical of the photo or the former president.
One person wrote, "Wishing you and your family a peaceful and joyful Christmas. Your strength and love inspire us all."
Another added, "Wishing you a peaceful Christmas Eve too, Mr. President. Let's hope the spirit of goodwill extends into the new year and helps bridge some of the divides we've seen. The image is a nice reminder of simpler times."
Several others shared similar sentiments, including a message that said, "Merry Christmas to the whole Biden family!"
Bruce Willis’ wife says Christmas joy can feel ‘tangled in a web of grief’ amid his dementia battle
Christmas Day brings both joy and heartbreak for Bruce Willis’ wife.
In a deeply personal essay published on her website, Emma Heming Willis opened up about the emotional toll of navigating the holidays since her husband’s dementia diagnosis.
"For me, the holidays carry memories of Bruce being at the center of it all," the 47-year-old wrote.
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"He loved this time of year — the energy, the family time, the traditions. He was the pancake maker, the get-out-in-the-snow-with-the-kids guy, the steady presence moving through the house as the day unfolded. There was comfort in the routine of knowing exactly how the day would go, especially since I’m a creature of habit."
"Dementia doesn’t erase those memories," the mother of two shared. "But it does create space between then and now. And that space can ache."
In 2022, Willis’ family announced he had been diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that causes loss of the ability to understand or express speech. Nearly a year later, the family said the actor had received a more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration describes FTD as a group of brain disorders caused by degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain, which affects behavior, language and movement, according to The Associated Press. Aphasia can be a symptom of it.
The association describes frontotemporal degeneration as "an inevitable decline in functioning," with an average life expectancy of seven to 13 years after the onset of symptoms. The progressive disease is terminal, and there is no cure.
"Grief during the holidays can show up in unexpected ways," wrote Emma. "It can arrive while pulling decorations out of storage, wrapping gifts or hearing a familiar song. It can catch you off guard in the middle of a room full of people, or in the quiet moment when everyone else has gone to bed."
"I find myself, harmlessly, cursing Bruce’s name while wrestling with the holiday lights or taking on tasks that used to be his," she wrote. "Not because I’m mad at him — never that — but because I miss the way he once led the holiday charge. Yes, he taught me well, but I’m still allowed to feel annoyed that this is one more reminder of how things have changed."
The holidays, which once brought "uncomplicated joy," can now arrive "tangled in a web of grief," she said.
Emma said one of the hardest parts of the holidays as a caregiver is the expectation to make everything feel "normal," even as she quietly mourns the life she once shared with her husband.
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"We’re surrounded by images of what the holidays are supposed to look like — perfectly decorated homes, lighthearted gatherings, smiling faces captured in matching pajamas," she reflected. "Even when we know these images are curated, they can still create a sense of failure and extra loss when our reality doesn’t match. When dementia is part of your family, ‘normal’ becomes a moving target."
"For a long time, I wanted the holidays to remain exactly as they were, as if this might protect us from what was happening," Emma wrote. "But I’m learning that flexibility isn’t giving up. It’s adapting. It’s choosing compassion and reality over perfection. It’s understanding that meaning doesn’t live in the size of the gathering or the polish of the day. It lives in presence."
"Grief is not a sign of ingratitude. It’s a sign of love," she stressed.
"There’s no denying that the holidays are different now. But different doesn’t mean empty. It doesn’t mean broken. It doesn’t mean devoid of meaning. There is still connection. There is still love. There is still joy to be had. And if this season feels heavy for you, please know that you’re not alone. You’re not doing it wrong. And there is no single ‘right’ way to move through this time of year when dementia is part of your life. There is only your way. And that is enough."
Over the years, Emma has sought guidance from doctors and experts to better understand FTD, its progression and what caregivers can do to give loved ones the best quality of life possible. She’s been sharing her findings and conversations on social media.
"I love and care for my husband so much," she told Fox News Digital in September.
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"I want him to go into this next chapter of his life being cared for and loved. But I think what has also helped me is the advocacy part of all this, being able to use my voice to help somebody else. That has been really comforting to me, to be able to share what I’ve learned along the way. I think being able to give back in any way I can has been the way for me to continue walking through this journey."
Emma said she hopes that by going public with a private, devastating experience, other caregivers won’t feel alone in their journeys. But today, it’s about taking things one day at a time — for herself and her husband.
"I’ve come a long way," she said. "I never thought, since receiving Bruce’s diagnosis, that I would find laughter again. I think it’s taken time. I’m still learning. But I’m doing the best that I can."
Christmas returns to Holy Land cities as Bethlehem’s Christian population dwindles, Nazareth remains strong
Christmas celebrations returned this year to both Bethlehem and Nazareth, but the season is unfolding very differently in the two cities that sit at the heart of Christianity — Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and Nazareth, where he lived.
In Nazareth, festivities are broad and confident, rooted in a growing Christian presence in Israel. In Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, celebrations took place again after more than two years of disruption, but against the backdrop of a long-term demographic decline and deep concern within the local Christian community.
Elias Zarina, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy and a longtime Christian activist, said the long-term numbers underscore the concern. Christians made up 86% of Bethlehem’s population in 1950, Zarina said. By the last Palestinian census in 2017, they accounted for roughly 10%. He added that since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, at least 142 Christian families have left the Bethlehem area.
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"They saw what happened on Oct. 7 and understood that minorities in this region have no future without real protection," Zarina said.
In Nazareth, Josh Reinstein, director of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and president of the Israel Allies Foundation, described a sharply different reality, which he said reflects governance and security.
"Nazareth is a completely different situation," Reinstein said. "It’s an indigenous Christian community under the authority of Israel, and it grows every year. It prospers."
Reinstein pointed to economic and social indicators to make his case, noting that while Christians make up around 2% of Israel’s population, "Christian communities have the highest GDP per capita compared to Jews, Muslims and Druze," he said. "They’re respected, they’re protected, and they have the same rights as everyone else."
Reinstein contrasted that with Bethlehem’s trajectory since the 1990s.
"Since the Oslo accords in the 90s, the Christian community of Bethlehem has been decimated by the Palestinian Authority," Reinstein told Fox News Digital. "Bethlehem was once a city with an overwhelming Christian majority. Today, Christians are around 10% of the population, and they are no longer represented in the municipality. That tells you everything about what has happened there."
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Bethlehem did mark Christmas this year. Crowds gathered in Manger Square, the Christmas tree was lit, and religious ceremonies took place at the Church of the Nativity. Local officials framed the celebrations as a sign of resilience and an effort to project normalcy after years of war and economic collapse.
Zarina, however, said the Palestinian Authority’s decision to allow Christmas events this year should be viewed in context.
"In recent months, the Palestinian Authority has sought to reintroduce itself to international public opinion, particularly to the Christian world, through symbolic festive displays such as the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Bethlehem," Zarina said in comments provided to Fox News Digital. "These efforts are meant to market the Palestinian Authority as moderate, especially as discussions continue about Gaza’s future. But events on the ground over just a few days have sharply contradicted that image."
Zarina noted that several incidents targeting Christians occurred within a single week ahead of Christmas, including threats against churches and violent assaults tied to land disputes.
"Christians in these areas are subjected to a systematic policy manifested through harassment, violence, psychological terror, forced displacement and the confiscation of property by extremist families driven by rigid Salafi ideology and supported morally and financially by states known for backing extremist movements, foremost among them Turkey and Qatar," he claimed. "In this context, the Palestinian Authority appears either unable or unwilling to enforce the rule of law and protect the Christian minority."
Recent incidents in the Palestinian Authority area of control have reinforced those concerns. A church in Jenin was firebombed earlier this week, and a Christmas tree was set on fire outside another church. Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded by warning of "growing hostility toward Christians" under Palestinian Authority governance.
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And while Israel has occasionally seen attacks against its Christian community by extreme religious-nationalist elements who have been accused of vandalizing religious sites and using verbal assaults aimed at clergy, in his Christmas message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is a nation that looks after its Christian population.
He stated in part, "Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Christians can practice their faith with full rights and in total freedom. Where Christian pilgrims are embraced with open arms and are so deeply appreciated. Where Christians can celebrate proudly their traditions and openly do so without any fear," he said, adding, "The persecution of Christians or members of any religion cannot and must not be tolerated."
Zarina said that Christian residents in nearby Beit Jala and in Nablus avoided visible festivities out of fear of harassment.
Not all Christian leaders in Bethlehem share the same assessment. Pastor Naim Khoury told Israeli news agency TPS-IL that conditions in Bethlehem itself have improved this year and that, so far, he has not seen attacks connected to the holiday. Other activists, however, argue that fear limits what many Christians are willing to say publicly.
"The Christians are under enormous pressure and cannot speak freely," said Shadi Khalloul, founder and CEO of the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association, in comments to TPS-IL. "They are trying to survive quietly."
The contrast is also reflected in official demographic data. According to figures released this week by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics and reported by TPS-IL, approximately 184,200 Christians live in Israel as of Christmas Eve 2025, accounting for about 1.9% of the population. The Christian population grew by 0.7% in 2024, making Israel one of the few countries in the Middle East where the Christian community continues to grow.
Nazareth is at the center of that growth. The city has the largest Arab Christian population in Israel, with roughly 18,900 residents, followed by Haifa and Jerusalem, according to Israeli government data. Most Arab Christians live in Israel’s Northern and Haifa districts, where Christian communities have expanded alongside rising education and income levels.
Heather Johnston, founder and CEO of the U.S. Israel Education Association, said the visible contrast this Christmas reflects deeper realities.
"At Christmas, the contrast between Nazareth and Bethlehem tells a larger story," Johnston said. "Christians are flourishing in Nazareth under Israeli rule, while in Bethlehem, under the Palestinian Authority, the Christian population has been shrinking for years. That difference speaks volumes about which systems actually protect religious freedom and allow ancient Christian communities to endure."
This Christmas, lights and hymns filled both cities. For Zarina and others, the question now is whether international attention will fade once the lights come down, or whether it will translate into lasting protection for one of Christianity’s oldest communities.