Bethlehem, West Bank - A falloff in tourism, an international boycott against the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government, and inter-Palestinian fighting are just of few of the woes that have soured the mood in Bethlehem this Christmas season.
Last year, residents of the city known as the birthplace of Jesus expressed optimism that tourism, Bethlehem's main source of income, would increase and life would return to normal.
But in January, Hamas - a terror group that says Israel should not exist -- took control of the Palestinian Authority parliament, prompting an international boycott of the P.A. More recently, fighting between Hamas and its political rival Fatah (Fatah controls the Palestinian presidency) has soured the Christmas mood in Bethlehem.
Five years ago, the streets of Bethlehem would have been full of people at this time of year, said Nayef, a Bethlehem taxi driver. The city was happy and people were laughing, he said.
Now most of the stores are shuttered and residents are distraught. Several trees in Bethlehem's central plaza -- Manger Square -- are decorated with giant gold, red and blue ornaments. But the city is empty.
Samer Khoury, a Bethlehem Christian, manages the Bethlehem Inn. On Thursday, just four days before Christmas, the 48-room hotel and adjacent restaurant were empty.
Business is expected to pick up at Christmas, Khoury said. Most of the guests will not be tourists but Israeli Arab Christians who have been encouraged to come to support their Palestinian brethren, he said.
"It's all politics," Khoury said of the situation. "Only peace will solve this, which will never happen."
Khoury, who was born in Bethlehem, is a dual American citizen and has lived in the U.S. In his view, all the blame for the current Palestinian troubles falls on Israel and America.
"They wanted us to be democratic," he said in reference to the January Palestinian elections encouraged by the U.S. "People (Hamas) were elected and we're paying the bill," said Khoury.
There are only television cameras, journalists and volunteers in Bethlehem this Christmas, said Adnan Sobeh, 36, a Muslim-born father of four.
Five years ago, Sobeh finished a university degree in social work and psychology but cannot find work in his profession. He runs his family's souvenir shop just off Manger Square. By late afternoon, he hadn't sold a single thing, he said, pulling out his wallet to show there was no money inside.
"It's a very bad situation," said Sobeh. "There is no future here, no future in Palestine."
Israel's security barrier, which it credits with a sharp drop in Palestinian terrorism, is a constant reminder of the Bethlehem's isolation from nearby Jerusalem.
The barrier winds along the city's perimeter -- a giant gray wall scrawled with anti-American and anti-Israel graffiti. Unemployment is high and many Christians and some Muslims have left the city for the West.
Some 18,000 pilgrims are expected in the city over the Christmas holiday but most of those will stay for only a few hours and some will spend little or no money at all while they're here.
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