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National

The celebrations traditionally enjoyed in Bethlehem — the "capital of Christmas" — are canceled this year, as the war in Gaza and violence in the occupied West Bank continue to devastate Palestinian communities. 

The big picture: The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem arrived in Bethlehem on Sunday for the annual Christmas Eve procession to a quiet and subdued city. There were no marching bands, concerts, or cheering crowds. There were no Christmas lights and no tree towered over Manger's Square as it typically does.

Instead, rubble was added to nativity scenes and the traditional festive mood Palestinian Christians have during this time turned somber as they mourn the more than 20,000 Palestinians who have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Ministry of Health in Hamas-run Gaza.

"This Christmas is like no other Christmas ... in my lifetime," said Varsen Aghabekian, who is part of the Armenian Christian community in the Palestinian city of Ramallah. "This year, it's a very sad time for all of us."

Driving the news: The Christmas season in the region usually lasts from mid-November through the Armenian and Eastern Orthodox celebrations in January.

But the heads and patriarchs of the major churches in the Holy Land issued a statement last month, calling on Christians to "stand strong" with those suffering Gaza and the West Bank by "foregoing any unnecessarily festive activities" and focusing on the spiritual meaning of Christmas instead. 

Palestinian Christians told Axios that meaning is especially poignant this year as they read the biblical story of Jesus' birth. "I feel that the Christmas story is a Palestinian story," said Rev. Mitri Raheb, the president of Bethlehem's Dar Al-Kalima University. 

Raheb pointed to the similarities of a pregnant Mary's experience to the tens of thousands of pregnant women in Gaza today. He said the story of displacement and killing happening in Gaza now echoes what was taking place at the time of Jesus' birth. "Jesus was born as a refugee," he told Axios.

 "While we cancel the celebrations, the Christmas story [has never] been as fresh and as meaningful as now," he said. 

Art work "Nativity under the Rubble" by Palestinian artist Tariq Salsa is seen in Manger Square near the Church of Nativity on December 23

Art work "Nativity under the Rubble" by Palestinian artist Tariq Salsa is seen in Manger Square near the Church of Nativity on Dec. 23. Photo: Maja Hitij/Getty Images

Zoom in: The Palestinian Christian population in Gaza and the West Bank has dwindled over the years. Just 1,000 Christians were living in the Strip before the war broke out, according to church leaders. 

But those who spoke to Axios said the presence of Palestinian Christians remains vibrant through Christian-funded or led schools, hospitals, churches and other institutions across the region. 

In Gaza, many of those institutions, including churches, have been hit by Israeli airstrikes and ground troops, said Sami El-Yousef, the CEO of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. He estimated roughly 2% to 2.5% of the Palestinian Christian population has been killed during the war. 

That's part of the reason church leaders decided to cancel the celebrations this year, he said. "Any change from the status quo in a historic land like the Holy Land is not an easy decision," El-Yousef told Axios. "But given the greatness of what is happening and the attacks on the two [Gaza[ churches in particular ..., they had to make the difficult decision." 

Zoom out: The occupied West Bank has also been severely affected by the war. Hundreds have been killed by Israeli forces and thousands have been arrested — some without charge — since the fighting broke out. 

Many Palestinians are out of jobs and the tourism industry that cities like Bethlehem thrive on has all but collapsed. In years past, up to 150,000 pilgrims visited the city during the Christmas season. But this year, the streets are largely empty and many of the shops, hotels and restaurants are closed.

"Bethlehem is the capital of Christmas. It's where started," said Rev. Jack Sara, president of Bethlehem Bible College. Normally, the city is bustling with people and events during this time, but today it's "really dead," he told Axios. 

It's unclear how long the war will go on. Israel continues to widen its offensive, including pushing further into southern Gaza. It has vowed to remain in the enclave until it destroys Hamas and brings all hostages taken by the militants during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel home. 

But Palestinian Christians, like many Palestinians, told Axios there will be no peace until Israel's occupation ends — and there's equality for all living in the region.

"If there's no justice, it's impossible to have peace," said Omar Harami, a Christian Palestinian who works for the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre in Jerusalem.

That's the message they hope those who celebrate the holiday hear as they read the Christmas story and sing hymns about Bethlehem over the next few days.

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa (C) arrives in the biblical city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank ahead of Christmas Eve

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa arrives in the biblical city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Christmas Eve. Photo: Hamza Bader/AFP via Getty Images

Christmas celebrations canceled in Bethlehem as war rages in Gaza

There are no marching bands, concerts, or cheering crowds. There are no Christmas lights and no tree towered over Manger's Square.

The Christmas nativity scene at the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem this year.

The Christmas nativity scene at the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem this year. Photo: Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Christmas

Israel

Conflicts, policies and powers are intersecting and shaping the world. Breaking news and analysis of national security, foreign policy and global crises.

World

Why it matters: The explosion of lab-grown diamonds has disrupted the diamond industry.

By the numbers: As lab diamonds have gained popularity, the cost of all diamonds has dropped.

About 63% of independent jewelers in the U.S. sell lab diamonds, which is up from 58% a year ago, according to a recent survey by trade publication InStore.

The 2022 price bump of natural diamonds was caused by record demand for — and short supply of — natural diamonds in 2021, independent diamond industry analyst Paul Zimnisky tells Axios. Part of the cause: Many people used federal pandemic stimulus money to buy natural diamonds.

Data: Paul Zimnisky data and analysis; Note: For generic, round, near-colorless diamond with VS clarity and VG cut grade; Chart: Axios Visuals

Of note: In 2018, the FTC determined that lab-grown diamonds are diamonds.

According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), which grades diamonds, lab-grown diamonds have the same chemical and physical properties as natural diamonds.

GIA stopped calling lab-grown diamonds "synthetic" in 2019.

Meanwhile, jeweler Jean Dousset, the great-great-grandson of Louis Cartier, sees an opportunity: luxury lab-grown diamonds.

He spent his career in natural diamonds, but this year opened a bespoke lab-diamond showroom in West Hollywood. In his view, making designer diamonds "hasn't taken anything away from the mystique and the beauty of diamonds … it just reset the [price] scale."

The endeavor came out of Dousset's frustration with the idea that buyers often had to compromise with diamond purchases, because of stone scarcity, cost or both.

At his eponymous showroom, Dousset sells engagement rings with  designer lab diamonds ranging from 1 to more than 18 carats for $1,500 to $76,300 (before the settings).

A glimpse inside of the Jean Dousset boutique, with its white halls, gold lighting and diamonds in display cases

The Jean Dousset showroom in West Hollywood. Photo: Courtesy of Jean Dousset

"The diamond industry is going through an existential crisis," Dousset tells Axios.

After the industry was "set in its ways for hundreds of years … technology and the human imagination have been able to replicate nature perfectly," he says.

He says that "mined diamonds are not the future," and customers — including the "empowered" women buyers he markets to — have embraced lab diamonds.

Between the lines: Expectations around engagement rings are shifting.

Jewelers and experts tell Axios they've seen more millennial women shopping for engagement rings with their partners, and they are increasingly asking for lab-grown options.

What they're saying: "I want a pretty fat ring. … If I have the ability to go within a price range and have the diamond that I'm looking for and that I can customize, why not [go for a lab diamond?]," Jennifer Ali, a millennial woman and vice president at a global financial service firm, tells Axios about engagement ring shopping.

As for the argument that a natural diamond is a "better investment," Ali says, "I don't look at [an engagement ring] as something that I'm going to sell later, right? This is something that is more sentimental. … It's a part of our love story."

Among the places that Ali and her boyfriend are browsing: Ring Concierge in New York City, which was founded by a millennial woman and is big on Instagram.

Separately, ethical reasons factor into why many customers say they buy lab-grown instead of natural diamonds.

Although natural diamonds "still involve disrupting the surface of the earth," the idea that mined diamonds are mostly "blood diamonds … is not representative of a large majority of the industry," Zimnisky says.

Lab diamonds don't require extraction, but they do require "a tremendous amount of electricity," Martin Rapaport, diamond industry expert and chairman of Rapaport Group, tells Axios.

The reality is that most people buying lab diamonds are doing so primarily because of cost, Zimnisky says.

What we're watching: Lab-grown diamonds — with their essentially unlimited supply — could eventually get as cheap as hundreds or even tens of dollars a carat, according to Rapaport.

A potential benefit of prices continuing to drop: Diamonds could be used in more practical ways, from processing chips on phones to inverters on electric vehicles, says Zimnisky.

But when it comes to natural diamonds, "Now we go back to the old days, where diamonds were exclusive," Rapaport says.

Time will tell if relatively affordable lab-grown diamonds can sustain a luxury status.

Lab-grown diamonds go luxury — and rock the industry

For a 3-carat ring, a natural diamond would be around nine times the cost of a lab diamond.

Woman wearing diamond rings and bracelets, with her hands on a car steering whell

A model wears lab-grown diamonds from Jean Dousset's "Never Mined. All Mine" campaign. Photo: Courtesy of Jean Dousset

Diamonds

Latest news on Wall Street, Corporate America and financial regulation.

Business

2028

Axios 2028

An unusual load of West Wing dirty laundry is being aired about a former staffer, giving a vivid look at one of the cultural pillars of Bidenworld and President Biden himself.  

Driving the news: A surprising number of President Biden's current and former aides — at least six — are lining up to tell backstairs tales to The Daily Mail, a London tabloid with racy online U.S. coverage which frequently features Hunter Biden.

They're all talking because the former staffer — former First Lady press secretary Michael LaRosa — broke Biden code of silence and has repeatedly mocked the Biden campaign strategy on cable TV and social media.

For months, many of LaRosa's former colleagues seethed as he went on CNN, MSNBC, and other outlets second-guessing the Biden team and boom! — a rare Biden spectacle.

Biden's staff are strongly discouraged from anything resembling self-promotion since they are there to serve the principal, who they call "the Boss."

What they're saying: "I don't believe there is a world in which this First Lady is pleased with her husband's team seeking out the same British tabloid that regularly smears and lies about her son, to do the same to her former press secretary, who traveled by her side for three years," LaRosa told Axios.

A White House official said: "As Axios knows, having White House officials quoted on background in an unauthorized way does not mean the White House spent time on something."

Between the lines: Loyalty is the key currency among Biden aides and perceived disloyalty, fair or not, is a quick way to get exiled from much of Bidenworld.

When they left the White House, some former aides were struck by how their superiors would publicly and privately praise them for their "loyalty." They took it as a compliment but also a warning not to stray. 

One Biden aide said they felt differently: "I've never heard anything that could be interpreted like that, only thanking people for their work and friendship and shouting out their good qualities."

Many of LaRosa's ex-colleagues disagreed with his strategic points, but the few who agreed felt they would alienate their former co-workers by saying so and have remained quiet.

Some former Biden aides feel the feuding is ultimately unhelpful. 

"We have always kept our internal disagreements internal and it is unfortunate that these recent internal conflicts are spilling out into the public," one told Axios.

Zoom in: Current and former Biden aides told the DailyMail that LaRosa exaggerated his role inside the White House after he left in the summer of 2022 in order to enhance his public profile.

A person who served with him in the White House told The Daily Mail: 'This whole idea that he was this very senior insider and was like very close to the president or First Lady, and focused on the campaign and political strategy, that could not be farther from the truth,'

LaRosa further provoked ex-colleagues by criticizing the Biden campaign for reportedly considering bringing back former deputy press secretary TJ Ducklo, who resigned from the White House just weeks into the administration after reportedly lashing out at a reporter during an off-the-record phone call. 

LaRosa told Politico earlier this year that Ducklo's return was "a stunning lack of judgment by those whom he entrusted to responsibly staff his reelection campaign," citing the president's day-one pledge that if they "treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot."

Ducklo, a stalwart Biden defender going back to the 2020 primary campaign, has widespread loyalty inside Bidenworld even among those who think he acted inappropriately.

The bottom line: As for his strategic critiques, LaRosa told Axios that "Democrats with far greater platforms than I have been much harsher, in my opinion.  It's also not my role to be their flack."

lashing out at a reporter unprofessionally during an off-the-record phone call. 

West Wing insiders pile on former staffer for breaking Biden code

An unusual load of West Wing dirty laundry is being aired about a former staffer.

Joe Biden

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

Hill Leaders

Axios Hill Leaders

President Biden is planning to make more surgical trips to minority communities in 2024 to reinforce the paid advertising his campaign is broadcasting directly to Black and Hispanic voters, according to people familiar with the matter.

Why it matters: Team Biden knows that they need to drive up the president's numbers with Black and Hispanic voters – and convince them to turn out on election day.

The plan is to use the trappings of the presidency, including Air Force One sorties, for Biden to deliver his message directly to minority communities.

Driving the news: The emerging strategy was on display Wednesday, when Biden traveled to Milwaukee to highlight his administration's investment in Black-owned businesses.

On Friday, the White House announced that Biden would grant clemency to 11 people who were serving "disproportionately long sentences," for nonviolent drug offenses, including those with long crack cocaine convictions, a key priority for the Congressional Black Caucus and civil rights groups.

Top Biden officials hosted Black male leaders at the White House this month for a strategy session on how to improve Biden's standing with Black voters. 

Next year, the campaign's advertising budget will include "investments into African American and Hispanic media," Julie Chávez Rodríguez, Biden's campaign manager, wrote in a memo on Thursday.

By the numbers: To reassemble his winning coalition from 2020, Biden needs to dramatically improve his standing with Black, Hispanic and young voters.

Several recent surveys put Biden's level of Black support in the low 60% range, a shocking development for a demographic that supported Biden with 92% of the vote in the last election.

His approval rating among Hispanics is even lower, at 33% in a recent Pew survey. Former President Trump leads Biden by five percentage points in the demographic, according to a new CNBC survey. In 2016, Biden won 59% of the Latino vote, according to exit poll data.

Zoom out: From the outset of Biden's presidency, top officials have viewed local and specialized media as a tool to circumvent national new organizations and speak directly to voters.

Inside Biden's plan to shore up Black and Hispanic support in 2024

Biden's using the power of the presidency to appeal to key demographic groups.

Axios

Sunday's top stories

Christmas celebrations canceled in Bethlehem as war rages in Gaza

Lab-grown diamonds go luxury — and rock the industry

West Wing insiders pile on former staffer for breaking Biden code

Inside Biden's plan to shore up Black and Hispanic support in 2024

Jury finds two Aurora paramedics guilty in 2019 death of Elijah McClain