What was supposed to be a simple Christmas celebration in Haifa ended with a man in a Santa Claus costume being dragged away in handcuffs. Israeli police arrested a Palestinian man dressed as Santa during a holiday party, along with a DJ and a street vendor, after officers shut down the event. The incident, caught on video and shared widely online, has sparked anger from rights groups and renewed debate over how Palestinian communities are treated during the holidays.
Christmas Party Cut Short
The arrests happened on Sunday during a Christmas gathering in the northern Israeli city. Families had gathered to celebrate, music was playing, and children were dancing when police suddenly arrived and ordered the event to be shut down.
Video footage from the scene shows officers pushing several men to the ground before cuffing them, while shocked bystanders watched. One of the men was wearing a full Santa Claus costume. Another was the DJ who had been providing the music, and a third was a street vendor who was working nearby. Police also seized sound equipment, leaving the party in silence.
People at the scene could be heard shouting as officers moved in, and some children were seen crying as the situation escalated.
Different Stories From Police and Rights Groups
Israeli police later said the man dressed as Santa resisted arrest and assaulted an officer. That, they said, was why force was used.
But the Mossawa Center, which represents Palestinian citizens of Israel, told a very different story. The group said the event was peaceful and that police had no legal authority to shut it down. They accused officers of using unnecessary force and humiliating the men by arresting them in front of their families and children.
Rights workers said the way the raid was carried out turned what should have been a joyful moment into something frightening.
A Holiday Under Heavy Pressure
The arrests came as Palestinians across Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza were trying to mark Christmas under extraordinary conditions. In Bethlehem, worshippers returned to the Church of the Nativity for the first Christmas since the Gaza war began. Marching bands, carols, and church services brought life back to the streets, even as the conflict continued nearby.
For many families, it was the first chance in months to gather publicly and celebrate something positive.
How Gaza’s Christians Marked Christmas Despite War
In Gaza, the holiday looked very different. A small Christian community held Christmas services surrounded by damaged buildings, shattered roads, and ongoing shortages of food, water, and electricity.
Christmas trees and decorations stood among piles of rubble, a sharp contrast to the destruction left by months of fighting. For many, it was less about celebration and more about holding on to a sense of normal life in the middle of a crisis.
Violence Continues During the Holiday
Even as Christmas was being marked, violence and raids did not stop. Palestinian news agencies reported that Israeli settlers damaged olive groves near Ramallah, while Israeli forces carried out house raids and vehicle seizures in areas around Hebron.
Christian groups have also warned that attacks against churches and Christian communities have been rising. Earlier this year, dozens of incidents involving church property and physical assaults on Christians were documented.
Pope Speaks Out
In his Christmas address, Pope Leo spoke about the situation in Gaza, describing the living conditions faced by families displaced by the war. He compared their struggle to the story of Jesus being born in a stable, saying it showed what it means to live in vulnerability.
He said it was impossible not to think of families in Gaza living in tents, exposed to cold, wind, and rain, while the world marked the holiday.
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Final Thoughts
The image of a Palestinian man dressed as Santa being arrested in the middle of a Christmas celebration has struck a nerve far beyond Haifa. While police say the arrests were justified, rights groups insist the raid was unnecessary and heavy-handed. For many Palestinians trying to hold on to moments of joy in a difficult year, the scene has become a painful reminder of how even Christmas is not free from tension, fear, and political conflict.
