The nativity exhibit unveiled last Saturday in Vatican City’s Paul VI Hall sparked renewed controversy by depicting the baby Jesus as a Palestinian.
Designed by Palestinian artists, the display featured the infant Christ wrapped in a Palestinian keffiyeh, a potent symbol of Palestinian identity.
The unveiling was attended by Pope Francis, who received greetings from Ramzi Khouri, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Khouri conveyed thanks from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, commending Francis for his advocacy for the Palestinian cause and his criticisms of the violence in Gaza.
The exhibit and its broader messaging tie into a persistent effort to frame Jesus as a figure of Palestinian heritage—a claim with no historical basis. During the time of Jesus, the concept or state of Palestine did not exist.
Jesus, born in Bethlehem, lived as a Jew in the Roman province of Judea, a region later renamed Syria Palaestina by the Romans in the second century to suppress Jewish connections to the land following their revolts. Scholars and historians consistently affirm that Jesus’s identity was fundamentally Jewish, as were his parents, his teachings, and his cultural context.
Despite this, figures like Mahmoud Abbas have repeatedly referred to Jesus as a “Palestinian messenger,” and such claims have gained traction in certain political and ideological circles. U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar echoed similar sentiments in 2019, amplifying a tweet that lamented perceived American Christian indifference to Palestinian Christians while asserting Jesus’s supposed Palestinian identity.
Pope Francis’s participation in this exhibit comes against the backdrop of his vocal criticism of Israel, particularly in the wake of the October 7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas. The pontiff described Israel’s military response as “immoral” and has called for investigations into whether Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide.
His rhetoric, coupled with gestures like endorsing a nativity scene emphasizing Palestinian identity, has drawn sharp criticism from Jewish communities and observers who view such statements as distorting historical and religious truths.
Pope Francis inaugurates the new nativity scene called ”Betlehem 2024” in the Vatican
Looks like the Pope has also fallen for the absurd claim that Jesus was a Palestinian. pic.twitter.com/nVhsOW8vuL
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) December 7, 2024