A provocative Times Square billboard declaring “Jesus is Palestinian” hijacked Christmas messaging in America’s most visible public space.
Story Snapshot
- American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee funded controversial “Jesus is Palestinian” billboard in Times Square during Christmas
- Message appeared alongside Christmas greetings, deliberately conflating religious celebration with modern geopolitical claims
- British tourists called the display “divisive” while millions witnessed the provocative messaging during peak holiday traffic
- Billboard quickly replaced with Reagan quote about “tearing down walls” after immediate backlash
Holiday Hijacking in Heart of America
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee strategically timed their controversial billboard to coincide with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when Times Square attracts millions of visitors. The display featured “Jesus is Palestinian” in bold letters alongside “Merry Christmas” on a green background, deliberately mixing sacred holiday messaging with modern political activism. This calculated timing ensured maximum exposure during one of the year’s most celebrated Christian holidays, transforming a moment of religious reverence into political theater.
Inflammatory Times Square billboard proclaiming ‘Jesus is Palestinian’ slammed by holiday tourists: ‘A divisive message’ https://t.co/KKgrpTuvYz pic.twitter.com/9x5YiSmtXr
— New York Post (@nypost) December 25, 2025
ADC executive director Adeb Ayoub defended the campaign as promoting “dialogue” about shared values, claiming the message wasn’t making ethnic claims but fostering inclusive interpretations. However, the organization’s choice to leverage Christmas symbolism reveals a deliberate strategy to inject contemporary Middle Eastern politics into America’s most visible public square during a sacred holiday period.
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Historical Distortion Meets Modern Activism
Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, located in ancient Judea under Roman rule, centuries before any Palestinian national identity existed. The term “Palestinian” emerged as a modern political designation tied to 20th-century nationalism, making the billboard’s claim historically anachronistic. This represents a broader pattern of activists rewriting historical figures through contemporary political lenses, distorting religious heritage to serve current ideological agendas.
The timing coincided with similar messaging from climate activist Greta Thunberg, who posted “Jesus was a Palestinian born under occupation” on social media just days before the billboard appeared. This coordinated messaging suggests an organized effort to reshape Christmas narratives around anti-Israel themes, exploiting Christianity’s central figure for political purposes during the holiday season.
Free Speech Weaponized Against Faith
While the ADC cited free speech rights to justify their billboard, the campaign represents how radical groups weaponize constitutional protections to attack traditional religious understanding. The organization has maintained weekly billboard rotations throughout 2025, but none previously matched this direct appropriation of Christian iconography for political messaging. This escalation demonstrates how activists increasingly target core American values and religious beliefs under the guise of promoting dialogue.
Tourist reactions captured the broader American frustration with political activism infiltrating sacred spaces and holidays. British visitors described the message as “divisive,” reflecting how reasonable people recognize the inappropriate mixing of religious celebration with contentious geopolitical claims. The immediate replacement with a Reagan quote about “tearing down walls” showed even the sponsors understood their original message crossed acceptable boundaries of holiday appropriateness.
Sources:
Times Square: Digital Billboard Displays “Jesus Is Palestinian”
Times Square billboard claims ‘Jesus is Palestinian’
Sponsored Times Square billboard claims Jesus is Palestinian, wishes a Merry Christmas
