'She's spouting make-believe': Internet shreds AOC over Christmas message about Israel-Hamas conflict

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: In a Christmas Eve Instagram story, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sparked controversy by drawing parallels between Palestinians and Jesus, while condemning Israel as a "violent occupying force." The New York Democrat shared a photo of a child in Gaza and expressed prayers for peace in the region.

AOC's Christmas Eve post

“In the story of Christmas, Christ was born in modern-day Palestine under the threat of a government engaged in a massacre of innocents,” she began her post. 

“He was part of a targeted population being indiscriminately killed to protect an unjust leader’s power. Mary and Joseph, displaced by violence and forced to flee, became refugees in Egypt with a newborn waiting to one day return home," she further said. 

“Thousands of years later, right-wing forces are violently occupying Bethlehem as similar stories unfold for today’s Palestinians, so much so that the Christian community in Bethlehem has canceled this year’s Christmas Eve celebrations out of both [fear for their] safety and respect,” Ocasio-Cortez continued.

“And yet, also today, holy children are still being born in a place of unspeakable violence — for every child born, of any identity and from any place, is sacred. Especially the children of Gaza,” AOC lamented.

“The entire story of Christmas and Christ himself is about standing with the poor and powerless, the marginalized and maligned, the refugees and immigrants, the outcast and misunderstood without exception,” she wrote.

“This high Christian holiday is about honoring the precious sanctity of a family that, if the story were to unfold today, would be Jewish Palestinians,” the far-left Democrat insisted. “Merry Christmas. May there be peace on Earth, amen,” she ended her post. 

AOC faces social media backlash over her Christmas post

Critics swiftly responded to her post, accusing her of "Jew hate" and omitting mention of Hamas terror or the victims of an October 7 attack.

Jacob Kornbluh, a senior political reporter at The Forward, highlighted her characterization of Israel as a "violent, right-wing occupying force."

“AOC describes Israel as a ‘violent, right-wing occupying force’ in [a] Christmas post,” he wrote. “No mention of Hamas terror, [or] the victims of [the] Oct 7 attack.”

Pro-Israel activist Andrea Karshan urged people to enjoy Christmas without engaging in "social justice political" discussions.

“I wish people would just enjoy Christmas and stop getting so social justice political about it. I am so glad that when I was Christian I had a blast on Christmas and didn’t waste my time engaging in this nonsense. It’s so silly," she offered.

AOC faced further backlash on social media.

"Her Jew hate is really showing here," one responded.

"So twisted! Christ was born in Judea- 6 centuries before Islam was even born! I don’t think he would have had an opinion on the I-P conflict. But he prob would have agreed that raping, murdering, burning, abducting, and gleefully torturing people is not “Christian” behavior!" another wrote.

"Jewish Palestinians are not a thing. They were Jews of Judea then. She’s spouting make-believe," someone else added.

"Shame on her," another chimed in.

AOC has previously condemned both Israel and Hamas in the conflict, labeling the October 7 attack and Israel's response as war crimes.

She, along with other members of the 'Squad,' advocated for a ceasefire and criticized the US decision to veto a UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.

Pope Francis, just hours after AOC's controversial post, appealed for peace between Israel and the Palestinians in his Christmas Day message.

He grieved over the October 7 Hamas attack but also called for an end to Israel's military campaign in Gaza, emphasizing the need for humanitarian aid, the New York Post reported.