PA: Jesus was a Palestinian
PA and Fatah: Jesus was a Palestinian
Abbas: "Jesus, a Palestinian messenger of love,
justice and peace"
justice and peace"
PA official: "Jesus the Messiah is Palestinian"
Fatah official: "Jesus, the first Palestinian"
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Ignoring the fact that Christian tradition defines Jesus as a Judean and that the Roman Empire changed the name of Judea into "Palestine" only a hundred years after Jesus lived, senior PA and Fatah leaders have presented as historic fact that Jesus and his mother Mary were Palestinians and that Jesus was "the first Palestinian Martyr," and the first Palestinian refugee, as documented by Palestinian Media Watch.
This year was no exception. On the occasion of Christmas, Palestinian leaders and officials spoke of Jesus as "the Palestinian," "the first Palestinian" and "the first Palestinian Martyr":
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas stated that: "We celebrate the birth of Jesus, a Palestinian messenger of love, justice and peace." [WAFA, Dec. 22, 2014]
Mahmoud Al-Habbash, the Supreme Shari'ah Judge and Mahmoud Abbas' Advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs announced that:
"Christmas is also a Palestinian holiday, because Jesus, peace be upon him, was Palestinian. He was born in Palestine; lived and was sent [as prophet] to Palestine. Therefore, Christmas has a special Palestinian flavor.'"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 22, 2014 and Ma'an, Dec. 21, 2014]
District Governor of Ramallah and El-Bireh Laila Ghannam expressed her hope for "victory, far off as it may be" and encouraged Palestinians to "be merry" and celebrate Christmas as "Jesus the Messiah is Palestinian":
"We are standing here, Muslims and Christians, in Yasser Arafat Square, [named after] the symbol of our cause, to celebrate Christmas. So too we will stand united to celebrate victory, far off as it may be. Merry Christmas, let's celebrate and be merry; Jesus the Messiah is Palestinian, and we are Palestinians and will continue to hold our heads high."
[Official PA TV, Dec. 7, 2014]
Adnan Al-Damiri, the official spokesman of the PA Security Forces, celebrated "the anniversary of love and peace, the birth day of Jesus the Palestinian." [Facebook page of Adnan Al-Damiri, Dec. 25, 2014]
Saeb Erekat, a member of the Fatah's Central Committee, referred to "the first Martyr, the first Palestinian, Jesus." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 17, 2014]Tawfiq Tirawi, also a member of Fatah's Central Committee, wished the "united Palestinian people a new Christmas that will herald liberty, as did Jesus, the first Palestinian." [Facebook page of Tawfiq Tirawi, Dec. 24, 2014]
The following are longer excerpts and additional examples from December 2014, presented chronologically:
Op-ed by Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul, columnist for the official PA daily:
"On the day of your birth, my lord Jesus, the entire humanity celebrates you and peace...
My lord Jesus, peace be upon you, those who crucified you 2000 years ago (i.e., the Jews) have returned to crucify your people, of different religions, without distinguishing Christians from Muslims. They spread their poison in every part of your homeland - where your churches, and the mosques of your successor, Prophet Muhammad son of Abdullah of the Quraysh tribe, peace be upon him, were built - to spread destruction, strife and discord...
Jesus, the man of peace and love, rest in peace, for your people, the Canaanites, stand firm on the ground, holding onto their rights, determined to protect their land..."
My lord Jesus, peace be upon you, those who crucified you 2000 years ago (i.e., the Jews) have returned to crucify your people, of different religions, without distinguishing Christians from Muslims. They spread their poison in every part of your homeland - where your churches, and the mosques of your successor, Prophet Muhammad son of Abdullah of the Quraysh tribe, peace be upon him, were built - to spread destruction, strife and discord...
Jesus, the man of peace and love, rest in peace, for your people, the Canaanites, stand firm on the ground, holding onto their rights, determined to protect their land..."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 25, 2014]
Posted on the Facebook page of Adnan Al-Damiri, the official spokesman of the PA Security Forces:
"On [the occasion of] the anniversary of love and peace, the birth day of Jesus the Palestinian, [we convey] New Year wishes to Palestine, its residents and those who love it."
[Facebook page of the official spokesman of the PA Security Forces,
Adnan Al-Damiri, Dec. 25, 2014]
Op-ed by Tawfiq Amraneh, columnist for the official PA daily:
"My lord has created a resistance-fighting man out of clay stones!
My lord blew a soul into Jesus the Palestinian!
My lord bestowed upon Jerusalem [Islam's Prophet Muhammad's] Night Journey and Ascent to Heaven..."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 24, 2014]
Text posted on the Facebook page of Tawfiq Tirawi, member of Fatah Central Committee.
"We wish our united Palestinian people a new Christmas that will herald liberty, as did Jesus, the first Palestinian, peace be upon him."
[Facebook page of Fatah Central Committee member,
Tawfiq Tirawi, Dec. 24, 2014]
Headline: "Abbas: All I Want from Christmas is Justice"
RAMALLAH, December 22, 2014 (WAFA) - President Mahmoud Abbas Sunday called upon the international community to recognize the State of Palestine on the 1967 border and support the United Nations initiative to set a deadline to end the Israeli occupation.
"This Christmas, we deliver a very special message to the world: All I want from Christmas is justice. Any initiative to bring peace will fail if it doesn't bring justice to the Palestinian people," he said, quoting the Bible: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
"This Christmas, we deliver a very special message to the world: All I want from Christmas is justice. Any initiative to bring peace will fail if it doesn't bring justice to the Palestinian people," he said, quoting the Bible: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
Abbas' request came in a message sent to the Christian communities on Christmas, where he called upon the international community to partner with the Palestinian people "in order to preserve a large and vibrant Christian presence in Palestine by stopping all Israeli policies that have driven our people, Christians and Muslims, out of their homeland."
He praised the role of the local churches and their institutions in defending their land and Palestinian national rights in all international forums.
"While the international community is talking about resumption of the peace process, Christmas in general, and the situation of Bethlehem in particular, are a reminder that peace cannot remain an empty word," said Abbas.
"We celebrate the birth of Jesus, a Palestinian messenger of love, justice and peace, which has guided millions from the moment that his message came out from a small grotto in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. His message resonates among all of those who are seeking justice and among our people who have been the guardians of the holy sites for generations. It resonates in our prayers for our people in Gaza." [...]
"Jesus' message resonates in our prayers for our people in our capital Jerusalem, who continue to resist the Israeli attempts to turn the city into an exclusive Jewish place. The mosques and the churches of Jerusalem will continue to remind the world of the Palestinian, Arab, and Christian and Muslim identity of the city. Justice means ending the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, an integral part of the State of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 border," stressed Abbas. [...]
"On behalf of a people struggling for justice and peace, from the land of Jesus, peace be upon him, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, hoping that 2015 will be a year of justice to advance freedom and peace for the people of Palestine and justice and peace for the world at large."
"From Palestine, the Holy Land, we extend our warmest greetings to peoples around the world while we celebrate the occasion of the birth of the prince of peace, Jesus, peace be upon him."
[WAFA (English edition), Dec. 22, 2014]
"Mahmoud Al-Habbash, the Supreme Shari'ah Judge and Mahmoud Abbas' Advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs... noted that 'We believe in our lord Jesus, peace be upon him, and in his gospel, his prophecy, and his sanctity. In keeping with his creed, we celebrate his birth day just as we do that of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, because all prophets are brothers. In addition, Christmas is also a Palestinian holiday, because Jesus, peace be upon him, was Palestinian. He was born in Palestine; lived and was sent [as prophet] to Palestine. Therefore, Christmas has a special Palestinian flavor.'"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 22, 2014 and Ma'an, Dec. 21, 2014]
"Fatah Central Committee member Dr. Saeb Erekat and District Governor of Jericho and the Jordan Valley Majed Al-Fatiani, lit up the Christmas tree in central Jericho on Monday [Dec. 15, 2014] evening... Erekat said that several days ago, Fatah Revolutionary Council member Ziyad Abu Ein had lit up an olive tree with his pure blood, thereby joining the procession of [Palestinian] Martyrs (Shahids), and added: 'Shouldn't it be so, since the first Martyr, the first Palestinian, Jesus, peace be upon him, was from among us?'"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 17, 2014]
Official PA TV broadcast a speech by District Governor of Ramallah and El-Bireh Laila Ghannam:
"We are standing here, Muslims and Christians, in Yasser Arafat Square, [named after] the symbol of our cause, to celebrate Christmas. So too we will stand united to celebrate victory, far off as it may be. Merry Christmas, let's celebrate and be merry; Jesus the Messiah is Palestinian, and we are Palestinians and will continue to hold our heads high."
[Official PA TV, Dec. 7, 2014]
"Yesterday's [Dec. 2, 2014] Ministry of Tourism and Archeology [newspaper column] centered on the products being sold in the oriental antiques stores, and criticized the Ministry's faulty supervision of these stores, which sell symbols that have nothing to do with the Palestinian heritage, such as the Israeli Star of David and menorah (i.e., candelabrum used in Jewish worship), especially in Bethlehem and Jericho... Secretary-General of the Islamic-Christian Council for Jerusalem and the Holy Places Hanna Issa explained ... the difference between the six-pointed Star of David and the Christian star, which is five-pointed. This star appeared to the Shepherds in Beit Sahur, [symbolizing] the birth of our lord Jesus, who was Palestinian in origin, and who was the first Palestinian Martyr (Shahid)."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 3, 2014]