Pope Francis sends pointed message to Israel with detail in Nativity scene

Pope Francis unveiled the annual nativity scene at the Vatican over the weekend – raising some eyebrows in the process.

A noticeable addition this year saw the seminal scene’s baby Jesus draped in a keffiyeh – a traditional scarf used by Palestinians as a national symbol. Jesus was born into a Jewish family in Bethlehem.

A statement from the wheelchair-bound pontiff, moreover, saw him humbly ask onlookers for peace in the Middle East, weeks after he called for an investigation into what he said may be a ‘genocide’ occurring in the Gaza Strip.

That came in response to repeated Israeli military attacks in the region – also considered the holy land in the Catholic faith.

On Sunday, the 87-year-old was gifted a ‘Star of Bethlehem’ plaque by two Palestinian children – paving the way for an impassioned speech. 

In it, the Catholic Church’s leader pleaded ‘Enough with wars, enough of violence!’, after thousands turned out to St Peter’s Basilica to see him install 21 new cardinals the day before.

‘You know that one of the most profitable investments is in the weapons industry? They earn money to kill. But why?’ he continued, again condemning the arms industry he has said is fueling the war effort.  

‘No more wars!’ he again said – this time drawing cheers. As he spoke, the symbolic addition served as a poignant – yet polarizing – nod to one side’s struggle, ahead of what’s set to be the 2,023rd birthday of Jesus Christ.

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‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to all people,’ a message on the Bethlehem Star gifted to Pope Francis during the ceremony, engraved in both Latin and Arabic, read.

After airing his call to put a cease to the violence, the 266th head of the Catholic Church paid somber respects to the installation.

It was designed by Palestinian artists Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi, both of whom hail from the Palestinian town of Bethlehem.  

Figures of the Holy Family, meanwhile, were carved from olive wood, further connecting the scene to its place of origin.

The accompanying plaque also contained an inscription asserting ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men,’ again in Arabic and Latin.  

The plaque and nativity scene will now remain in the Paul VI Hall, the church said – as part of several nativity scenes collectively titled ‘Nativity of Bethlehem 2024.

It is not to be confused with the main nativity scene currently propped up in St Peter’s Square, which does not include a keffiyeh.

In another controversial move, the pope was joined Sunday by PLO executive committee member Ramzi Khouri, who conveyed ‘warm greetings’ on behalf of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. 

The first prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, Abbas led the PLO’s Negotiations Affairs Department before assuming his post in 2003.

Now the president of the State of Palestine as well the Palestinian National Authority, the politician has since been subject to criticism for allegedly distorting Jewish history and engaging in Holocaust denial. 

Just last year, the 89-year-old claimed during a speech later condemned by the US, European Union, France, and Germany that Hitler killed Jews because of their ‘social role’ as moneylenders, rather than out of antisemitism.

He further claimed that Ashkenazi Jews are descendants of Khazars – an obscure warlike tribe in Turkistan who fought against the Arabs starting in the 600s.

Abbas’s comments saw Paris’s Mayor Anne Hidalgo rescind the Medal of the City she gave him back in 2015 – a mere month before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed more than 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.  

Khouri, in turn, reportedly expressed ‘deep gratitude for the pope’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and his tireless efforts to end the war on Gaza and promote justice.’

Meanwhile, just last month, in a collection of interviews conducted by author Hernán Reyes Alcaide, Pope Francis called for an investigation into what he framed as a potential ‘genocide’ occurring in the Gaza Strip.

‘According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” Pope Francis told Reyes in his section of the book, ‘Hope Never Disappoints’.

 ‘It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies,’ the pontiff continued – making history as the first pope to openly ponder the possibility of genocide in the war-torn country.

Two months before, he appeared to suggest the extent of Israel’s defense in Lebanon and Gaza may be disproportionate to the threat on the country.

In response to the statement made in the book,  Yaron Sideman, Israel’s ambassador to the Church’s central government in the Vatican posted to X to insist “there was a genocidal massacre on [Oct. 7] of Israeli citizens, 

‘And since then, Israel has exercised its right of self-defense against attempts from seven different fronts to kill its citizens,’ the ambassador added,  

The Palestinian Community of Rome, meanwhile, had a different take, saying in its own statement, ‘Pope Francis has consistently voiced concern over Palestinian suffering and called for respect for international law.’