When people claim Jesus was Palestinian, they’re not just wrong, they’re erasing Jewish history - The Jewish Chronicle

Every December, I — a Jew — find myself explaining to atheists, Christians, and Muslims that Jesus was, quite simply, a Jewish man. Not a Palestinian. Not an icon of modern political movements. A Jewish man, born in the land of Israel, which at the time was under Roman occupation. You don’t have to take my word for it—just open a history book, or better yet, open the Christian bible.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, circumcised according to Jewish law (Luke 2:21), attended synagogue on Shabbat (Luke 4:16), and celebrated Passover in Jerusalem (John 2:13). The cross’s inscription, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” (John 19:19), leaves no ambiguity.

The term “Palestine” did not exist during Jesus’ lifetime. It’s a Roman invention. When Emperor Hadrian crushed the Jewish revolt in 135 CE — a century after Jesus’ crucifixion — he renamed Judea as “Syria-Palaestina” to punish Jews and erase Jewish sovereignty. Before that, the region was Judea, the homeland of the Jewish people. No creative licence can place someone in a place or identity that didn’t exist in their lifetime.

This erasure is deliberate. The goal isn’t historical accuracy or sociological analysis — it’s to delegitimise Jewish connection to the land of Israel. If Jews never had a homeland there, then Jewish claims to it become tenuous. This strategy isn’t new. Antisemitism shifts form to suit the political moment. Once we were “Christ-killers.” Now Jesus is branded as a Palestinian, so who other than the Jewish nation is responsible for killing him? Same scapegoating — new branding.

These narratives aren’t just false — they’re calculated. Simple lies spread further than layered truths. “Jesus was Palestinian” is more repeatable than explanations of Jewish history, Roman imperialism, and geopolitics. Branding Jews as “colonisers” or “settlers” in our ancestral home is winning two for the price of one.

This isn’t just an academic issue. History shapes the present. When people claim Jesus wasn’t Jewish, they’re not simply mistaken — they’re erasing Jewish history. And that fuels delegitimisation of Israel. This revisionism doesn’t promote peace — it deepens division.

There’s another way. Supporting Palestinian rights doesn’t require rewriting Jewish history. You can fight for human rights without erasing Jewish connection to Israel. Recognising Jesus’ Jewishness doesn’t negate Palestinian identity or their right to live in dignity and freedom from Hamas’ brutal regime. Acknowledging Jewish roots in Israel doesn’t have to come at the expense of modern Palestinian rights.

Denying Jesus’ Jewish roots isn’t “progressive” — it’s regressive. It’s a return to the medieval playbook where Jewish identity was reimagined to suit those in power. Back then, it was Church leaders. Today, it’s social media influencers, activists, politicians, and some academics. Same tactics, different tools.

Jesus’ ethnicity isn’t the point. The point is that Jews lived in Jerusalem long before Christmas — a fact that shouldn’t require constant defence. If it weren’t so significant, people wouldn’t go to such lengths to deny it.

So yes, I’ll spend another Christmas explaining that Jesus was a Jewish man from Judea. Not because I’m Christian. Not because I’m looking for a theological fight. Not because I’m desperate to claim Jesus as our own (what a weird concept). But because I’m a Jew — a person indigenous to the Middle East, born into a story that some would rather erase. My history is not up for grabs. It’s not a chess piece in someone else’s game.

History is messy, but peace demands truth — not narratives built on lies. ‘Tis the season to remind the world where Jews come from. Merry Christmas!

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