Vatican removes nativity display featuring baby Jesus lying on keffiyeh

[u/Educational_Board888]

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/vatican-removes-nativity-display-featuring-baby-jesus-lying-on-keffiyeh-fvrdcbbf

The wooden statue was criticised by Jewish groups for reinforcing the trope that Jesus was a Palestinian.

The backlash came almost immediately from religious entities and individuals worldwide.

On Monday, B’nai B’rith International described feeling “disturbed by the Vatican display of a Palestinian-made nativity scene featuring Jesus on a keffiyeh and the pope’s appearance with it.” The group said the display “isn’t just politicisation, but revisionism. It presents (only) Palestinians as innocent victims—and Jesus as a Palestinian, not a Jew.”

In response to the display’s removal, David Parsons, senior vice president and spokesman for the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, noted that “we are relieved at reports that the Vatican has decided to remove the provocative nativity display with an infant Jesus resting on a black-and-white keffiyeh, which is an unmistakable symbol of Palestinian nationalism.”

He said “This crèche not only denigrated Jewish heritage, it also undermined core tenets of the Christian faith. Indeed, millions of Christians worldwide were instantly incensed by this exhibit ahead of the Christmas season. The Vatican did the right thing in taking it down.”

Parsons described the display as “theological malpractice for the Holy See to allow this display to remain. For if Jesus was a Palestinian Arab, then he would not have qualified to be Christ, the promised messiah and savior of the world.”

[u/justadubliner]

I'm disappointed that they caved but not surprised. Zionists get their way no matter how evil the rest of the world sees them as. The world must be gagged while forced to watch atrocities day in and day out.

[u/oncothrow → u/justadubliner]

I am surprised. Surely when they did it they knew that the Israelis were going to throw a hissy fit? They can't have been that naive, it was a deliberate social message, wasn't that the whole point?

It presents (only) Palestinians as innocent victims—and Jesus as a Palestinian, not a Jew.

What even is this objection? Theologically? Judaism rejects Jesus as Messiah. The whole point is that the Christians of Bethlehem are Palestinian. The message was he was born in Bethlehem, and that just as Jesus was born under the oppression of the Roman Empire, a modern Jesus would be born under the oppression of another state.

[u/Perfectshadow12345 → u/oncothrow]

Also one can be both Jewish and Palestinian. There were Jews which were part of the Palestinian people before Zionist colonisation.

[u/suaveponcho → u/Perfectshadow12345]

There are still Jews today in the West Bank (albeit not many) who identify as Palestinian Jews rather than Israeli Jews

[u/inex_frami → u/suaveponcho]

really? any sources on that? (im sorry if this sounds obnoxious, to ask for sources, im just curious)

[u/suaveponcho → u/inex_frami]

I interviewed a Palestinian woman from Nablus last month who told me all about growing up next to her Samaritan neighbours, who never saw themselves as Israeli. Here’s one article about them below. Although in this article it says they don’t see themselves as Jewish either, I’m not sure this is universal.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/22/world/middleeast/samaritans-israeli-palestinian.html

[u/sudo_apt-get_intrnet → u/suaveponcho]

Samaritans aren't Jewish. It's a different ethnoreligion.

[u/inex_frami → u/suaveponcho]

thank you so much, I'll look into it!

what language do they speak?

[u/suaveponcho → u/inex_frami]

Pretty sure these days the ones still in the West Bank speak Arabic while the ones that have moved to Israel speak Hebrew. They also have their own old version of Hebrew. Don’t ask me any more questions lol you’ve pushed me to the limit of what I know

[u/inex_frami → u/suaveponcho]

maybe a tip on where to find more info on them? some ethnographic work?

that's the last question, swear to god hahah

[u/reenajo → u/suaveponcho]

There are still activists and academics who identify as, and write as, Palestinian Jews, and they live all over. They are Jews whose ancestors lived primarily in Palestine since before colonization. Moshe Behar is one example.