Public Christmas Trees banned in Nazareth Illit despite 'sizable Christian minority', says mayor

[AcolyteLector]

news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101222/wl_mideast_afp/israelreligionchristmasfeud

**
“Nazareth Illit is a Jewish city and it will not happen – not this year and not next year, so long as I am a mayor,” he said of the northern Israeli town.**​

So… I guess this won’t affect aid payments to EY, seeing as America is… uh,… ‘no longer a Christian nation’, according to headlines.

[In Towlie voice:] I guess he wasn’t feeling very Christmas-y.

 

[StrawberryJam]

news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101222/wl_mideast_afp/israelreligionchristmasfeud

**
“Nazareth Illit is a Jewish city and it will not happen – not this year and not next year, so long as I am a mayor,” he said of the northern Israeli town.**​

So… I guess this won’t affect aid payments to EY, seeing as America is… uh,… ‘no longer a Christian nation’, according to headlines.

[In Towlie voice:] I guess he wasn’t feeling very Christmas-y.

Reading the link, I have no idea if Christians were asking to have the trees there or not. It simply says Arabs asked.
I think Luther was a part of that tradition, if I am not mistaken.

 

[AcolyteLector]

Reading the link,

Did you? You might need some help reading, if so.

I have no idea if Christians were asking to have the trees there or not. It simply says Arabs asked.

**Let me help you read, then:

“The racism of not putting a tree up is nothing compared to the real racism that we experience here,” said Aziz Dahdal, a 35-year-old Christian** resident of Nazareth Illit.

[Christian expressing discontent and objecting to mayor’s apparent hawkishness.]

“When we asked the mayor to put up a Christmas tree in the Arab neighbourhoods of Nazareth Illit he said this is a Jewish town, not a mixed town,” said Shukri Awawdeh, a Muslim Arab member of the town council.

[Muslim expressing discontent and objecting to mayor’s apparent hawkishness.]

Awawdeh said there were 10,000 Arabs, most of them Christian in the town and there was also a large community of Christian Russianimmigrants.

[Evidence that this is not solely an Arab issue…: as the soon-to-be-mentioned angered Christian community also includes ethnic Russians (and, of course, pious Western tourists).]

His decision angered the town’s Arab and Christian minority, who accused him of racism.

[Evidence that the mayor’s claim was perceived as being false and inflammatory, and was found inflammatory by the Christian community.]

I think Luther was a part of that tradition, if I am not mistaken.

Were you planning on explaining the significance of this remark, or just allowing it to remain irrelevant to what is being discussed?



I always enjoy helping people read.

 

[StrawberryJam]

AcolyteLector:
Your venom over this is scary.

For starters, I do think it is a valid question to ask if the entire Tree tradition was started by Luther or not.

Secondly, reading things and Reading into things are better left to those who seem to argue about text for thousands of years. Context is ignored most of the time, meaning and content is dismissed also.

The people complaining about a lack of a tree there don’t seem to have a backing of any type of church behind them on this.

One person’s commentary is simply not going to make a case that anyone has been harmed, or suffered from this action or alleged lack of action.

Why don’t the Christians pay for a tree and put them up on their own Church property and their own homes? If they want a tree on property that is not their own property, couldn’t they just offer to pay to have it up including the costs of doing so?
Non Christians should not have to pay for it.

 

[kimmielittle]

For starters, I do think it is a valid question to ask if the entire Tree tradition was started by Luther or not.

How so, please? It has no bearing on the article.
Lutherans, though not Catholic, ARE Christians. Do Catholics have Christmas Trees, Episcopalians, Baptists etc?

The people complaining about a lack of a tree there don’t seem to have a backing of any type of church behind them on this.

They identify themselves as Christians- They are celebrating which Holy Day?

Why don’t the Christians pay for a tree and put them up on their own Church property and their own homes?

I don’t see where anyone asked for money for the Tree…but for space to place the Tree.

If their taxes provide the “public” space - should they not be allowed “public” access?

 

[Not_Sure_1]

If they can make us taxpayers pay for a gigantic menorah outside the white house, despite the fact that Judaism is a minority religion and not have a comparable nativity scene on the white house lawn, then surely the Jews in Israel should allow for public space for Christmas decorations in their towns. It is only fair.

It seems to be politically correct for governments to celebrate Hannukah and not Christmas.

Sorry, if the rant is slightly OT, but it is related to the topic.

IN other words, the Christians of NAZARETH want space for their decorations, let them. If they are the minority religion in the birthplace of our lord, they should be supported, just as we support the minority Jewish on our public properties.

Why is the cross offensive and the menorah not?

 

[ConstantineTG]

Good idea, no Christmas Trees in Nazareth. I propose all Christians to put up Nativity scenes and Christmas lanterns symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem

 

[AcolyteLector]

Your venom over this is scary.

**It sucks being wrong, I guess.

So are you by any chance one of those people who thinks that any criticism of Israel or an Israeli is tantamount to antisemitism or anti-Zionism?

I think its scarier that you’re defending attitudes that have no place in the modern world, simply because… well, why don’t you tell us yourself?**

For starters, I do think it is a valid question to ask if the entire Tree tradition was started by Luther or not.

Why? Is his opinion somehow ‘silence-able’ just because he’s not Catholic?

Secondly, reading things and Reading into things are better left to those who seem to argue about text for thousands of years. Context is ignored most of the time, meaning and content is dismissed also.

sure, whatever dude

The people complaining about a lack of a tree there don’t seem to have a backing of any type of church behind them on this.

Is this seriously an objection?

One person’s commentary is simply not going to make a case that anyone has been harmed, or suffered from this action or alleged lack of action.

I’ll go with the AP’s discretion in this case. Just because it only cites the opinions of one Arab Christian doesn’t mean that more don’t agree, or they couldn’t find anyone else. That’s why its a news article, and not a petition

Why don’t the Christians pay for a tree and put them up on their own Church property and their own homes?

**Why don’t we ask everyone else to do that when their religious traditions are in question, and then it’ll be fair. You miss the point that Christian culture is not being suppressed in favor of secular tolerance and religious quietism. Its being suppressed–according to the mayor’s own words–in favor of Judaism. **

If they want a tree on property that is not their own property, couldn’t they just offer to pay to have it up including the costs of doing so?

**That’s a veritable red herring, my friend. No where is it not stated that they have not offered to pay to erect the trees. The story states explicitly that they are being unconditionally suppressed, as ‘provocative’.

We’re now somewhat used to the idea that Middle East Christians are being oppressed by Muslims, especially in Iraq. This story departs from that trope, and shows that Christians suffer bias in other parts of the Middle East at the hands of other religions: in this case, Jews. Its typical journalese.

You’re absolutely right, why can’t those rich, greedy Palestinian Christians who are never persecuted just dip into their bottomless coffers and pull out some sheckles and bribe their intolerant mayor. **

Non Christians should not have to pay for it.

Where are they being asked to, in this article?

 

[AcolyteLector]

Good idea, no Christmas Trees in Nazareth. I propose all Christians to put up Nativity scenes and Christmas lanterns symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem

If you read the article, they wouldn’t be able to put up those, either.

 

[AcolyteLector]

If they can make us taxpayers pay for a gigantic menorah outside the white house, despite the fact that Judaism is a minority religion and not have a comparable nativity scene on the white house lawn, then surely the Jews in Israel should allow for public space for Christmas decorations in their towns. It is only fair.

It seems to be politically correct for governments to celebrate Hannukah and not Christmas.

Sorry, if the rant is slightly OT, but it is related to the topic.

IN other words, the Christians of NAZARETH want space for their decorations, let them. If they are the minority religion in the birthplace of our lord, they should be supported, just as we support the minority Jewish on our public properties.

Why is the cross offensive and the menorah not?

That’s a fair question.

The menorah is far more nationalist and inflammatory (last time I checked, various Israeli security services have adopted it as their logo), than the cross and Christmas tree combined.

I was considering writing the ACLU regarding the massive menorah sitting on top of the exit to the NY Public Library. The Star and Crescent, Kwanza menorah, and Christmas tree were present–but is the Christmas tree really comparable to these symbols as an expression of our December holiday? [as StrawberryJam, ironically, is arguing above]

I’m far from the type to want to make things harder for the Jews, but I feel that there would be a significant decrease in Jewish willingness in America to lend unqualified support to secularism and ACLU-ish anti-religionism if their holidays and symbols weren’t considered culturally novel and untouchable.