PLO Video Claims Jesus was 'Palestinian'

Video uses Christmas 'magic' to push demonization of Israel; claims Jesus was 'was of its own.'

By Tova Dvorin -- ArutzSheva 7

First Publish: 12/23/2013, 5:17 PM

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has claimed that Jesus was "Palestinian" in a seasonal video message attacking Israel.

The video juxtaposes images of "Christmas magic" with numerous scenes alleging "oppression" by Israelis. A figure revealed to be the Pope rides past scenes including a Jewish man holding a gun next to an Arab settler and Arabs cordoned off by an IDF soldier.

As he walks off into a church courtyard, a message across the screen blares: "Stand up for Hope, Peace and Justice in Palestine."

In addition, the description below the video reads: "Every Christmas Palestine celebrates the birth of one of its own, Jesus Christ." Jesus was in fact a Jew living in Talmudic-era Israel.

This is not the first time that the Palestinian Authority - the national front for the PLO - has tried to incite worldwide anti-Semitic activity during Christmas by claiming Jesus had a Palestinian identity. In 2010, Samih Ghanadreh, an author from Nazareth, called Jesus "the first Palestinian martyr" on a PA national television network. Ghanadreh claimed that the historical reference had first been noted by PLO leader Yasser Arafat.

The move also comes just days after prominent Roman-Catholic cleric Fuad Twal used his own Christmas address to slam Israel.

"The Israeli-Palestinian talks resumed in late July, after three years of interruption, but the efforts are hampered by the continuous building of Israeli settlements," Twal stated.

In 2012, the cleric also claimed that the religious holiday marked "the birth of the State of Palestine."

The PA and Hamas have a history of persecuting Christian Arabs; as a trend, Christians have been migrating from the Middle East elsewhere in response to growing persecution - with Israel currently the only country in the region whose Christian population continues to grow.

Tags: PA, Christian, christmas, PLO, Jesus, Palestinian Authority incitement, Fuad Twal