PMW Bulletin
Dec. 28, 2014
PA and Fatah: Jesus was a Palestinian
Abbas: "Jesus, a Palestinian messenger of love, justice and peace"
PA official: "Jesus the Messiah is Palestinian"
Fatah official: "Jesus, the first Palestinian"
http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=13536
Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
p:+972 2 625 4140 e: pmw@palwatch.org
f: +972 2 624 2803 w: www.palwatch.org
For years, the Palestinian Authority and Fatah have claimed that Jesus was a
Palestinian, thereby fabricating a Palestinian history dating back 2000
years.
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..."
[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."
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]
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