A digital billboard displayed in Times Square during the Christmas period featured the message “Jesus is Palestinian”, prompting public discussion and online reactions.
The billboard was placed by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) as part of a campaign aimed at raising awareness about Gaza. The campaign included two messages referring to the birth of Jesus Christ, who according to the Bible was born in Bethlehem, located today in the West Bank.
One message read: “Jesus is Palestinian. Merry Christmas.”
The second displayed a passage from the Quran announcing the birth of Jesus, accompanied by the phrase “Merry Christmas” written in both Arabic and English.
The campaign prompted responses from members of the public and on social media. Some commentators noted that Jesus is described in Christian scripture as Jewish, while others pointed out that the modern political entity known as Palestine did not exist during the period in which Jesus lived, when the region was under Roman rule and referred to as Judea.
Visitors to Times Square also commented on the presence of a political message during the Christmas season, which is traditionally associated with religious observance and public celebrations.
Source: Daily Mail