Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced criticism for comparing Jesus to the Palestinian people and criticizing Israel without mentioning Hamas or their hostages.
Ocasio-Cortez referenced the Christmas story, drawing parallels to modern-day Palestine and Bethlehem, highlighting the plight of today’s Palestinians.
“In the story of Christmas, Christ was born in modern-day Palestine under the threat of a government engaged in a massacre of innocents,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote, referring to Jews who lived under Roman control over 2,000 years ago.
“He was part of a targeted population being indiscriminately killed to protect an unjust leader’s power,” she added.
“Thousands of years later, right-wing forces are violently occupying Bethlehem as similar stories unfold for today’s Palestinians, so much so that the Christian community in Bethlehem has canceled this year’s Christmas Eve celebrations out of both [fear for their] safety and respect,” she continued, even though the area is under Palestinian Authority’s control.
Critics pointed out the absence of any mention of Hamas terror or the victims of attacks.
Pro-Israel activists expressed dismay at the politicization of Christmas.
