Nativity in UCC built in solidarity with Palestine

A tented refugee camp nativity scene is being displayed by staff at University College Cork.

The display was set up in solidarity with the people of Palestine in the face of the ongoing genocide being conducted by the Israeli state.

The scene, which was put together by staff from across the university, attempts to portray the desolation of the refugee camps across the Palestinian Territories and beyond, in neighbouring states of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

Staff from across the university take turns watching over the scene so that the candles remain lit all day, every day.

A staff spokesperson said that this is “not only a symbol of hope for the Palestinian people, but to act as a spotlight on the injustice that is happening to Palestinians on Palestinian land".

In September 2025, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, established by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), released the results of a two-year investigation concluding that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza.

The genocide has resulted in the deaths of at least 60,000 Palestinians, including at least 20,000 children.

Most surviving Palestinians in Gaza live in tented refugee camps, and deliveries are currently far below what was agreed to by Israel as part of the ceasefire agreement.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found Israel responsible for apartheid in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including using planning policy to prevent Palestinian development and to dispossess Palestinians from their land.

“The theme of the nativity scene this year reflects the dire situation that many Palestinians find themselves in due to Israeli military activity and Israeli government policy,” said the spokesperson.

“Mary and Joseph fled Bethlehem to Egypt with the precious baby Jesus when they were seeking safety from persecution.

However, 2,000 years later, no matter how hard their parents try to protect them, for Palestinian children there is no escape from persecution.”

While the scene does display the deprivation experienced by the Palestinian people in the present moment, it also attempts to show hope.

“Joseph, who loved and cared for Jesus and protected him from persecution, was a carpenter. The UCC carpenters, who constructed the exterior of the scene last year, lovingly protected and restored it for this year,” the spokesperson said.

The scene is currently on display, and will be open to the public until tomorrow, Friday 19 December.