Father Edward Beck speaking on CNN, attempted to draw a connection between the “story of Christmas” and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. On Christmas morning, when asked about global pain and suffering during the holiday season, Beck emphasized the message of Christmas being about God entering into human experiences. He pointed to the story of a Palestinian Jew, drawing parallels between the biblical narrative and the current situation in the world, particularly the Israel-Hamas conflict. His comments sparked intense backlash on social media.
He continued, “And so in some way, that is who we believe God becomes born into that situation and yet, that very man, Jesus, says love one another, love your enemies.
There is hope. There is light in the darkness. I’m attesting to that. So somehow that God enters that experience of suffering and that struggle and is actually born into it. That is what is so miraculous about this celebration for me.” Father Edward Beck
Foundation for Defense of Democracies research fellow, Hussain Abdul-Hussain, criticized Father Edward Beck for his remarks, suggesting that Beck should stop watching Al-Jazeera and start reading the New Testament. Abdul-Hussain specifically referenced Matthew 15:24, where Jesus is quoted as saying, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” and implied that, according to this biblical passage, when Jesus referred to Israel, he meant Palestine. The comment reflects a disagreement over the interpretation of biblical verses and the application of these narratives to contemporary geopolitical contexts.