Sabeen and Elias, future bride and groom in Bethlehem.
By getting married, we hope to encourage other Christians to stay here, to contribute
and to build up the Christian community of Bethlehem.
They will be married next summer. They are the same age and have resolutely chosen, contrary to so many young people from middle-class families, to stay in Bethlehem and start a family, to serve as an example to other young Christians.
- By Marinella Bandini
Sabeen Rahil and Elias Al-Arja, both 24 years olds and Christians, decided to build their future and their home in the city where they were born: Bethlehem. Despite the situation around them, they say: "We are confident that peace will return to this country, if not today, tomorrow." And they added: "We believe that this country is blessed. We could not find a better place to live than the one where Jesus was born." Sabeen and Elias met at the end of 2020 as part of the Leo Club, the youth branch of the Lions Club. This association, which is very active in Bethlehem, organizes charity events and fundraisers for projects to help people in difficulty. Their love story was born by working side by side, sharing a desire to help others and give generously. Their relationship was put to the test when Sabeen, who had already graduated in audiology and speech therapy, went to Brussels for a master's degree in management, just as the war in Gaza broke out. Before her departure, in September 2023, they had their two families meet, the first step in formalizing their relationship according to local tradition. "I knew I would leave for Belgium, but I decided to make our relationship official anyway," says Sabeen. "I knew I wanted someone like him by my side. This year has not been easy - it has taken a lot of communication, trust... but it was worth it. It strengthened our relationship and deepened our love."
The official engagement took place at the beginning of August and the wedding is scheduled for the end of July 2025. In the meantime, they have started to build an apartment above that of Elias' parents.
She, from a Catholic family, and he, from a Greek Orthodox family, share a common dream: "We want our children to grow up here," explains Elias. "By getting married, we hope to encourage other Christians to stay here, to contribute to and to build up the Christian community of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. We want to establish a generation of people who believe that this city is a place for Christians." Their choice represents a real challenge, given the serious economic crisis that has hit the Palestinian Territories since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, with significant social repercussions: increased tensions, increased crime and high rates of emigration.
It was in this difficult context that Sabeen and Elias began their professional careers. Although they have joined the family businesses, many challenges await them. The Al-Arja family first distinguished itself in the textile sector before investing in tourism. Elias, who has a degree in economics, has taken over the management of his father's hotel in Beit Jala. "Bethlehem lives 90% from tourism. But for almost a year, there has been no income. I tried to find another solution. I opened the hotel to a local clientele, such as workers from northern Palestine, who can't commute. It's not a definitive solution, but it's already something. We put everything in God's hands." As for Sabeen, who has just finished her master's degree and joined her father's company, she will also have to find solutions to compensate for the loss of customers. The difficulties of access to Bethlehem for the inhabitants of Hebron or northern Palestine, due to road closures, checkpoints, and the increasing aggressiveness of Israeli settlers, greatly complicate the situation.
In addition, crime is on the rise. The land on which Elias had begun laying the foundations of their future home was repeatedly attacked by armed gangs from the Deisheh refugee camp, forcing him to change his plans to avoid repeated violence. "If one day the war comes here and we have to flee, I will leave everything behind to protect my wife and children. But for now, we're focused on building our home and our community. I want our children to know their roots.
Since the beginning of the war, 55 Christian families have left Beit Jala to settle abroad. In the whole of the Bethlehem region, this figure is well over a hundred. "We firmly believe in the importance of the Christian presence in the place where Jesus was born," say the engaged couple. "We too have considered living abroad. But in the end, we told ourselves that we couldn't imagine our life anywhere else. Maybe with our choice to stay, we can be an example for other Christians."
