Evangelical Leader Slams Palestinian Envoy's Bible Claims

Pastor John Hagee, founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), has strongly criticized remarks made by Palestinian Ambassador to the U.K. Husam Zomlot, who claimed the Bible is a "Palestinian book." Hagee described the claim as "contemptible" and an effort to usurp Jewish history and identity.

Zomlot's comments, made earlier this month at the University of Bradford, suggested that Jesus and the early Christians were Palestinian, an argument Hagee contends is ahistorical. "The Palestinians aren’t the ‘people of the Book.’ When the ‘Book’ was written, the term Palestinian had not yet been coined," Hagee told Fox News Digital. He added that the ambassador's attempt to claim the Jewish heritage indicates a lack of his own historical narrative.

Hagee drew a parallel to historical context, noting that the Romans adopted the name "Palestine" to replace "Judea" centuries after Christ's crucifixion in an effort to erase Jewish connection to the land. He argued that calling Jesus a Palestinian because Bethlehem is now in the West Bank is anachronistic, comparing it to calling someone Cherokee simply because they were born in Oklahoma.

"Such attacks are contemptible, but their danger is decided by who will listen and who will challenge such bigotry," Hagee stated, emphasizing that no reasonable person should entertain such narratives, especially in light of recent events like the October 7th attacks and the stated aims of some groups to annihilate the Jewish people.

Zomlot's remarks during a conversation with former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf included the assertion that "The Bible is a Palestinian book and it has been used against us. It has been rewritten to be used against the people of the Book." He also stated, "We are the original Christians, all the names that you see here, all the saints that you hear about came from my land and I am so proud about that, spreading Jesus’ message worldwide."

Critics, including Ze'ev Orenstein, director of international affairs for the City of David Foundation in Jerusalem, argue that these claims constitute cultural and historical appropriation. Orenstein pointed out that Islam emerged about 1,300 years ago, Jesus lived around 2,000 years ago, and King David around 3,000 years ago. He stressed that Jesus and his disciples were Jewish, observed Jewish traditions, and lived in Judea, a land with deep Jewish historical roots.

Concerns have been raised that Palestinian authorities have used international bodies like UNESCO and the United Nations to shape historical narratives. Examples cited include UNESCO's designation of the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Tell es-Sultan near Jericho as Palestinian World Heritage sites, and a UN General Assembly resolution referring to the Temple Mount solely by its Muslim name. Critics argue these actions aim to erase Jewish history and associations with significant biblical sites.

Ambassador Zomlot did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.