In a scathing op-ed article for the Washington Post, biblical scholar Paula Fredriksen accused left-wing politicians and media figures of using Jesus to convey a "historically false" and "inflammatory" political message about the war in Gaza during Holy Week. Fredriksen specifically refuted claims made by politicians such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Catholic priest Father Edward Beck.

At Christmas, liberal figures including members of the Democratic "Squad" faced backlash for likening Jesus to a "Palestinian Jew" living in an "occupied" country, referencing the situation in modern-day Gaza. Ocasio-Cortez posted on social media, stating that Jesus was part of a targeted population being indiscriminately killed to protect an unjust leader's power, drawing parallels to the plight of Palestinians today.

Fredriksen fact-checked Ocasio-Cortez's claims, highlighting that Bethlehem has been under Palestinian rule since 1995, contradicting the notion that it is currently occupied. She further emphasized that the modern-day Gaza region is "extremely hostile" to Christians, citing instances of harassment and persecution against the local Christian population.

The biblical scholar argued that the term "Palestine" had its origins in Rome a century after Jesus' death, making it historically incorrect to appropriate Jesus as a Palestinian to attack Israel. Fredriksen maintained that such efforts were not only "inflammatory" but also perpetuated a false narrative. She stressed that Jews have been wrongly blamed for Jesus' execution for two millennia, and presenting Jesus as a Palestinian only added to the flames of hatred against Jews.

Fredriksen strongly criticized the act of cultural and political appropriation, asserting that it divorced Jesus from his Jewish context and displaced 1st-century and 21st-century Israeli Jews from their ancestral homeland.

In addition to Ocasio-Cortez, Father Edward Beck also made a similar comparison on CNN, noting the parallels between the story of Christmas and the current conflict. Beck highlighted Jesus as a "Palestinian Jew" born into a time when his country was occupied, with his mother being unable to find a place to give birth, and eventually having to flee as refugees into Egypt.

However, Fredriksen reiterated her stance, denouncing the use of Jesus as a weapon in the political agenda. She argued that such interpretations distorted historical realities and exploited the figure of Jesus for polemical purposes.

As the debate continues surrounding the use of Jesus' identity in the context of the Gaza conflict, Fredriksen's critical analysis raises important questions about the appropriation of religious figures for political gain.