The article discusses how left-wing politicians and media figures have been accused by a biblical scholar of using Jesus to convey a political message about the war in Gaza during Holy Week, which the scholar deems as historically false and inflammatory. The scholar, Paula Fredriksen, criticized the trend of referring to Jesus as a “Palestinian Jew” and likening his situation to that of modern-day Palestinians, particularly drawing attention to a social media post by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Christmas Day.
Fredriksen fact-checked Ocasio-Cortez’s claims, pointing out that Bethlehem has been under Palestinian rule since 1995 and that the Christian population in the region has significantly decreased over the years. She also highlighted the hostile environment for Christians in modern-day Gaza, citing instances of harassment and persecution against the minority Christian population in the region.
Furthermore, Fredriksen argued that the term “Palestine” was not in use until a century after Christ’s death and that the attempts to portray Jesus as a Palestinian in order to criticize Israel are not only historically inaccurate but also fuel hatred and anti-Semitism. She criticized this act as an appropriation of Jesus for political purposes and a way of distorting history for polemical reasons.
In addition to Ocasio-Cortez, Catholic priest Father Edward Beck also made a similar comparison between Jesus and modern-day Palestinians on CNN on Christmas Day, highlighting the parallels between Jesus as a Palestinian Jew living under occupation and the current situation in the world. Beck emphasized the message of Christmas as one of God entering into the world with humanity and the idea of being with those who are facing similar challenges as Jesus did.
Overall, the article sheds light on the controversy surrounding the depiction of Jesus as a “Palestinian Jew” by left-wing politicians and media figures in relation to the conflict in Gaza. The historical inaccuracies, political motivations, and implications of such claims are brought into question by scholars like Paula Fredriksen, who argue against misrepresenting Jesus’ background and using him to serve political agendas. The discussions around Jesus’s identity and the appropriation of his story for contemporary issues highlight the complex intersection of religion, politics, and history.
