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Was Jesus Palestinian? And while we are at it, was Moses Chinese?

I’m joking, of course. Everyone knows Moses was Italian.

But what of Jesus?

Anti-Israel protestors — both here in Australia and overseas — have used Christmas to claim that Jesus was not in fact a Jew, but a Palestinian.

Immediately after October 7, we were told Hamas terrorists were resistance fighters.

Then we were told that Osama Bin Laden made some really good points.

Now we’re being told that Jesus was Palestinian.

What next? Will they claim Aristotle was Palestinian? What about Santa?

Cultural Appropriation

Their argument goes like this:

Jesus was born in Bethlehem and Bethlehem is located south of Jerusalem in what is now known as the West Bank. Therefore, they say, Jesus was Palestinian.

It’s only a matter of time before they insist that baby Jesus was wrapped in a keffiyeh and gently laid in a tunnel beneath Gaza where he was visited by wise men from Qatar bearing gifts of knives, AK47s and Qassam rockets.

Attempts to co-opt Jesus to a particular ideology are nothing new, of course.

Depending on which social justice warrior you’re talking to, Jesus was a socialist, a refugee, a communist, a pacifist, a member of the LGBTQ community, or an environmentally friendly vegan driving an EV with an “Arms are for Hugging” sticker on the rear bumper.

Oddly enough, activists never describe Jesus as the Divine Incarnate at whose name every knee must bow. But we all know the pro-Palestine mob don’t need Jesus to be Lord and Saviour. They just need Him to not be a Jew.

And so, as the world paused to celebrate Jesus’ birth, the Jew haters were insisting a Jew, born to the Virgin Mary (also a Jew) whose linage can be traced back to King David (obviously a Jew) was not in fact a Jew.

Catholic priest Father Edward Beck went on CNN and, with a straight face, said:

“The story of Christmas is about a Palestinian Jew born into a time when his country was occupied, right?

“They can’t find a place for his mother to even give birth. They are homeless. They eventually have to flee as refugees into Egypt, no less.

“You can’t make up the parallels to our current world situation right now.”

Yeah, nah. He’s totally making it up.

Jesus was a Jew, born in the Jewish kingdom of Judea.

Palestine did not exist at the time of Jesus. It was around 100 years after Jesus that Roman Emperor Hadrian purged Judea of Jews and renamed the region ‘Palestine.’

And you’d think a priest, of all people, would know that Jesus’ disciples were all Jews, that His message can’t be understood apart from the Jewish faith, and that at His crucifixion the Romans hung a sign over his head saying “King of the Jews”!

But suddenly Jesus is Palestinian? Only Queers for Palestine would believe something that outrageous.

Ludicrous Lie

Using Jesus to justify Hamas, as vandals did to the Boston nativity scene shown above, takes some nerve. It’s outrageous and insulting to both Jews, and to Christians, and to Jesus!

If you hate Israel, then just say so.

From TikTok

But attempting to weaponise Christian identity in support of a terrorist organisation by claiming that Jesus was not a Jew is deceitful.

This image (below) is doing the rounds on social media, suggesting that Jesus was Palestinian and claiming He would become a Hamas soldier and fight the Jews if He was around.

The picture of Jesus in Hamas battle fatigues portrays Mary standing behind Him. But if you dare to draw the Prophet Mohammad, well, let’s just agree it’s best you don’t.

The fact that Jesus was a Jew does not mean He would abandon the Palestinians, and it doesn’t mean that Christians should abandon the Palestinians.

Jesus taught His followers to seek justice and to love their enemies, and that those two objectives were not mutually exclusive.

In the current circumstance, it means supporting Israel’s right to defend itself and to eliminate the forces of evil seeking to wipe it from the map.

While, at the same time, mourning the destruction required to accomplish those goals, since Jews and Palestinians are equally made in the image of God.

Jesus taught us that. And Jesus was a Jew.

___

Originally published at The James Macpherson Report.

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Featured photo: Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia over Christmas.