In a heated debate surrounding the portrayal of Jesus as a "Palestinian Jew," biblical scholar Paula Fredriksen and Catholic priest Father Edward Beck have raised objections to the political messaging surrounding the issue. The controversy has ignited during Holy Week, captivating media attention.

Fredriksen, a renowned historian and Aurelio Professor of Scripture emerita at Boston University, lambasted left-wing politicians and media figures for using Jesus to disseminate a "historically false" and "inflammatory" narrative about the war in Gaza. In a scathing op-ed for the Washington Post, she implored readers not to "pretend Jesus was a 'Palestinian Jew'" this Easter.

The argument gained traction earlier during Christmas, when liberal figures, including Democratic "Squad" members, sparked controversy by likening Jesus to a "Palestinian Jew" in an "occupied" country. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined the trend, stating on social media that "Christ was born in modern-day Palestine under the threat of a government engaged in a massacre of innocents." Fredriksen fact-checked these claims, pointing out that Bethlehem has been under Palestinian rule since 1995.

Moreover, Fredriksen highlighted the precarious state of Christians in modern-day Gaza, stating that the region is "extremely hostile" towards the dwindling Christian population, with instances of harassment and persecution. The historian also clarified that the term "Palestine" originated from Rome a century after Jesus' death, making attempts to label Jesus as a Palestinian historically inaccurate.

Fredriksen argued that associating Jesus with Palestine not only fuels hatred against Jewish people but also extracts him from his Jewish context, dislocating 1st-century Jews and 21st-century Israeli Jews from their ancestral homeland. She condemned this as an act of cultural and political appropriation that presents polemic as history.

Father Edward Beck, a Catholic priest, echoed some of the same sentiments expressed by Representative Ocasio-Cortez. However, Beck's primary focus was on the message of Christmas and the empathy it conveys, emphasizing that Jesus was born as a "Palestinian Jew" in a time of occupation, and his family struggled to find a place for his birth. Beck drew parallels to the global refugee crisis, emphasizing the resonance between the biblical narrative and the current world situation.

The debate over the portrayal of Jesus continues to ignite passionate arguments from both sides, with Fredriksen and Beck offering contrasting perspectives. As Holy Week unfolds, the discussion surrounding Jesus' identity and the political messages associated with it shows no signs of abating.