It’s almost Christmas, and I always like to be the first one to wish my best friend, Yara, a merry Christmas as she’s always the first one to wish me a happy Eid on Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. But is it appropriate to do that when there is still a genocide in Gaza and her cousins and friends are trapped in a church there?

Since we were in grade 4, I used to go over to Yara’s house in Gaza City, order food –probably from Al-Taboon Restaurant – decorate the tree, dance to YMCA songs, and then drink hot chocolate while watching a movie. We had this ritual going on for almost a decade.

Growing up, one of Yara’s favourite traditions was attending the Christmas Eve service at Saint Porphyrius church with her family. It was more than just a place of worship; it is one of the oldest churches in the world and a........

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