Palestinian activists unveiled the “Tree of Resistance” yesterday night in the courtyard of the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, West Bank.
In celebrating Christmas while shedding light on the suffering of Palestinians living under the Israeli occupation, the Popular Resistance Committees against the Wall and Settlement held a ceremony which was attended by foreign supporters as well as dozens of Palestinians.
The tree is an olive tree that is nearly 2,000 years old which was recently uprooted by Israeli bulldozers in Bir Ouna, near Bethlehem, in order to build part of the wall, according to the event organiser, Mazen Al-Izza.
On the sidelines of the tree lighting ceremony, Al-Izza said: “Today we place the tree of life here, in the Nativity Church courtyard, as a form of resistance, decorated with the remnants of the occupation’s weapons used to oppress the Palestinian resistance in order for the world to see.”
“This tree was planted in Palestine during the time of Christ and it is proof of the sanctity of Palestine. The occupation uprooted the tree of peace from the land of peace,” he added.
“This tree will remain in the Nativity Church courtyard until the end of the Christmas celebrations,” adding, “we are here to highlight the violations and injustice the Palestinians are subject to.”
Activists hung gas and noise bombs and remaining pieces of live and rubber bullets used by the Israeli army to disperse Palestinian protestors, along with pictures of the protest dispersals.