Priest blasted for linking ‘story of Christmas’ to Israel-Hamas war

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A priest who appeared on CNN Christmas morning is under fire after he called Jesus a “Palestinian Jew” living in an occupied country.

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Father Edward Beck joined Monday morning’s anchors to discuss how to keep faith alive this holiday season with everything going on in the world, specifically, the war between Israel and Hamas.

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The regular contributor was asked about the “pain and suffering” taking place in Gaza and to address those who are feeling “hopeless.”

“I think the message of Christmas is that God enters into it with us and we’re not alone in it,” Beck said.

“What I’m so struck by is that the story of Christmas is about a Palestinian Jew; how often do you find those words put together? A Palestinian Jew born into a time when his country was occupied, right?”

Beck continued: “They can’t find a place for her to even give birth, his mother. They’re homeless. They eventually have to flee as refugees into Egypt, no less. I mean, you can’t make up the parallels to our current world situation right now.”

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Jesus was Jewish and born in the town of Bethlehem, according to the New Testament, where the word “Palestine” is never mentioned.

“And so in some way, that is who we believe God becomes born into that situation and yet, that very man, Jesus, says love one another, love your enemies,” Beck added.

“There is hope. There is light in the darkness. I’m attesting to that. So somehow that God enters that experience of suffering and that struggle and is actually born into it. That is what is so miraculous about this celebration for me.”

Critics ripped the priest for his take on the history of Jesus Christ.

“This is embarrassingly wrong,” New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz posted on X.

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Avi Nir-Feldklein, ambassador of Israel to Norway and Iceland, asked, “I wonder which gospel is the right one, Father’s Beck or Matthew’s. Was it Palestine or Judaea?”

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Nir-Feldklein went on to Matthew 2:1: “When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod,* behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star* at its rising and have come to do him homage.’”

Foundation for Defense of Democracies research fellow Hussain Abdul-Hussain suggested, “Father Beck has to stop watching Al-Jazeera and start reading the New Testament.”

Beck doubled down, sharing an article on X called “Jesus, Jews, and Palestinians,” sharing a quote that read, “remembering that the name ‘Palestinian’ has long referred to Muslims, Jews, and others who have lived in that part of the world for generations.”

That post also did not go over well.

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“We all heard you on CNN today, claiming that Jesus was a Palestinian Jew, and comparing his plight with Palestinians today being forced to ‘flee into Egypt,’” Samwawal Foundations founder Avi Kaner responded.

“Shame on you for inciting hate reminiscent of blood libels.”

Beck replied, “Sorry you heard what you wanted to hear. But my message was one of unity and solidarity — with both Israel, and with suffering Palestinians. The more we accentuate our differences, the less love there will be in the world.”

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