Dmatix

Dmatix t1_j87hchg wrote

It did not, not in the way you intend anyway. The region was controlled by the British Mandate at the time, and due to heavy Palestinian resistance to the idea of more Jews coming to the area, refugees included, the British enacted a series of immigration restrictions called the White Papers, which crippled the ability of Jews attempting to flee from Europe to get there. The Palestinians' policy has demonstrably got Jews killed.

See: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Paper_of_1939

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Dmatix t1_j14j2qo wrote

That's not how religion, culture or traditions work. That there wasn't a tree at the nativity scene doesn't mean a thing - the nativity scene didn't appear out of thin air when Christianity was formed either - it appeared centuries after.

The gifts, tree and all the rest are culturally Christian traditions, just like eating specific foods or giving Hanukkah money is Jewish cultural tradition. It cannot be divorced from it, and it is not some universal tradition with no background. It doesn't make it bad or anything, but it's important to acknowledge it for what it is.

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Dmatix t1_j14gs9k wrote

That's nonsense. The Christmas tree is, well, a Christmas tree. Christmas, despite what some insist nowadays, remains powerfully Christian, as do all of its symbols, the tree included. That people suggest that it isn't just reinforces how powerful of a Christian normative mark US society has.

The Christmas tree, Santa Claus, all the rest of it - it's all Christian.

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