Israel-Palestine

A Catholic priest came on CNN on Christmas to say Jesus was a persecuted Palestinian -- and that the story of his birth contains parallels to what's going on in the Middle East.

Father Edward Beck -- a regular contributor -- joined Monday morning's anchors to discuss the topic of how to keep faith alive this holiday season with everything going on in the world ... namely, the war between Israel and Hamas, with Palestinians caught in the middle.

He said the story of Xmas was actually one of a "Palestinian Jew" -- noting how extraordinary it is to hear those 2 words put together. Father Beck went on to say JC was born into an occupied country, and that his mother and father (Mary/Joseph) were forced to flee into Egypt as refugees ... which is technically correct, as far as the Bible's concerned.

Beck went on to say the same sort of thing is going on right now in 2023 -- and while he didn't outright come out as explicitly pro-Palestine ... that's how his remarks were perceived.

In fact, there's a lot of handwringing happening online over the suggestion that Jesus was Palestinian ... and that he might've identified more so with the current Palestinian plight over that of Israelis. As many have pointed out online, Palestine didn't even exist back then.

On the flip side, neither did the state of Israel as we currently know it ... but the one thing that's undeniable is that JC was Jewish, for whatever's that worth in this raging debate.

Father Beck has defended what he said in some back-and-forths online. Again, some took his words here to imply that Jesus was more so Palestinian/Arab than he was Jewish -- but Beck says his words are being twisted, and his larger message of peace/unity overshadowed.

He's also posted articles that reference the use of the word "Palestinian" historically -- and how it's apparently been employed to identify Muslims, Jews and others who've lived in that region dating back millennia. In other words, Father Beck's doubling down on the notion Jesus was Palestinian ... and that him also being Jewish doesn't necessarily contradict that.

Melissa Barrera está redoblando su apoyo a Palestina mientras habla de las fiestas... recordemos que la franquicia "Scream" está en ruinas.

La actriz publicó un mensaje en su Instagram el domingo, justo antes de Navidad, y de nuevo puso el foco en la guerra en Oriente Medio, que se ha cobrado innumerables vidas en este momento, sobre todo porque Israel sigue tratando de cazar a Hamás.

Ella lanzó una caricatura de Santa en su trineo pasando por un carro que transportaba cadáveres envueltos -como comentario político, sin duda- y añadió un pie de foto muy directo.

Dice: "ESPERO QUE ESTA NAVIDAD SE SIENTA... RARA. ESPERO QUE NO PUEDAS IGNORAR EL HECHO DE QUE ESTÁS CELEBRANDO EL NACIMIENTO DE UN NIÑO QUE FUE PERSEGUIDO Y ATACADO Y SUS PADRES OBLIGADOS A HUIR A EGIPTO".

Melissa continúa diciendo que exactamente lo mismo les está ocurriendo a millones de palestinos en esa misma parte del mundo, todos estos años después "son bombardeados indiscriminada e implacablemente". Termina su mensaje con un simple y contundente "FELIZ NAVIDAD".

Por supuesto, su posición no ha cambiado, pero el hecho de que esté hablando en este momento es curioso, sobre todo porque el director que iba a dirigir la nueva película "Scream" de la que fue despedida por sus puntos de vista pro-Palestina, acaba de anunciar que está dejando el proyecto también.

Christopher Landon dio la noticia el sábado, diciendo que abandonó "Scream 7" hace semanas sin explicar por qué. Lo que dijo, sin embargo, fue revelador... "Fue un trabajo de ensueño que se convirtió en una pesadilla. Y mi corazón se rompió por todos los involucrados. Por todos". Y añadió: "Espero que el legado de Wes prospere y se eleve por encima del estruendo de un mundo dividido".

Suena como que podría haber sido a causa de todo este asunto de Israel-Palestina y muchos sospechan que Jenna Ortega también, a pesar de que se citaron otras razones no relacionadas.

Melissa Barrera is doubling down in her support of Palestine while speaking on the holidays -- and the timing is interesting ... considering the 'Scream' franchise is in shambles.

The actress posted a message to her Instagram Sunday, just ahead of Christmas, and it again put a spotlight on the war going on in the Middle East ... which has claimed countless lives at this point, especially as Israel continues to try and hunt down Hamas.

She threw up a cartoon of Santa on his sleigh passing by a cart carrying dead/wrapped-up bodies -- as political commentary, no doubt -- and she added a very in-your-face caption.

It reads, in part ... "I HOPE THIS CHRISTMAS FEELS... WEIRD. I HOPE YOU CAN'T IGNORE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF A CHILD WHO WAS PERSECUTED AND TARGETED AND HIS PARENTS FORCED TO FLEE OT EGYPT."

Melissa goes on to say the exact same thing is happening to millions of Palestinians in that same part of the world all these years later ... all while "they are indiscriminately and relentlessly bombed." She ends her message with a simple and blunt "MERRY XMAS."

Of course, her position hasn't changed ... but the fact she's speaking right now is curious, especially since the director who was attached to the new 'Scream' movie she was fired from over her pro-Palestine views *just* announced that he's leaving the project as well.

Christopher Landon broke the news Saturday, saying he exited 'Scream 7' weeks ago without explaining why. What he did say, though, was telling ... writing, "It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone." He added, "I hope Wes’ legacy thrives and lifts above the din of a divided world."

Sounds like he might've bounced over this whole Israel-Palestine issue too -- and many suspect Jenna Ortega did as well ... even though other unrelated reasons were cited.

Scooter Braun está haciendo un llamado a las estrellas de la industria de la música, exigiendo que hagan más con sus grandes plataformas para ayudar a los rehenes israelíes en el Medio Oriente.

El ejecutivo de la música se sentó con Rachel Goldberg, la madre de Hersh Goldberg-Polin, un rehén israelí que ha sido retenido en Gaza durante 76 días. Rachel dice que ha estado luchando para conseguir que las grandes celebridades ayuden a difundir la historia de su hijo, diciendo: "el silencio de la industria de la música ha sido tan ensordecedoramente palpable para nosotros".

Según Scooter y Rachel, las celebridades son reacias a hablar sobre el tema debido a los matices del conflicto entre Israel y Palestina, pero Scooter dice que eso no es una razón válida para permanecer en silencio.

Como lo dice Scooter, solo está rogando que la gente diga "algo" y pidan que los rehenes vuelvan a casa. Scooter reconoce que se trata de un tema delicado, pero el hecho de que el ataque de Hamás se produjera en un festival de música debería convertirlo en algo personal para todos los que trabajan en la industria.

Scooter Braun ha estado pasando tiempo en Israel ayudando a las personas necesitadas.

Scooter Braun is calling out A-listers in the music industry ... demanding they do more with their large platforms to help Israeli hostages in the Middle East.

The music exec sat down with Rachel Goldberg, the mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli hostage who's been held in Gaza for 76 days. Rachel says she's been struggling to get big celebs to help spread the word about her son, saying, "the silence from the music industry has been so deafeningly palpable for us."

According to Scooter and Rachel ... celebs are hesitant to speak on the subject due to the nuance of the conflict between Israel and Palestine -- but Scooter says that's not a valid reason to stay quiet.

As Scooter puts it, he's begging people to just say "something" and ask for the hostages to come home. Scooter acknowledges this is a sensitive subject matter  ... but the fact that Hamas' attack happened at a music festival should make it personal to everyone who works in the industry.

SB has been spending time in Israel helping people in need.

An Israel Defense Forces soldier nearly took a tank shell to the face ... and now the super close call is under investigation.

New footage out of the Middle East shows an IDF member standing just a few feet away from a tank right as it opens fire.

The force of the blast knocks the soldier back several feet and the missile appears to whizz right over her head. It appears the soldier notices the tank opening fire at the last second ... and she starts to react as the missile fires.

The video is making the rounds on social media and now the IDF says an "in-depth investigation" into the incident is underway and "penalties will be imposed."

In a statement, Israel's army says the incident is "serious and completely deviates from the IDF's safety instructions."

Una soldado de las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel casi recibió un proyectil de tanque en la cara y el hecho está bajo investigación.

Nuevas imágenes de Oriente Medio muestran a una miembro de las FDI de pie a pocos metros de un tanque justo cuando abre fuego.

La fuerza de la explosión hace retroceder a la soldado varios metros y el misil parece pasar muy cerca de su cabeza. Parece que la soldado se da cuenta de que el tanque abre fuego en el último segundo y reacciona mientras el misil se dispara.

El video está rondando en redes sociales y ahora las FDI dicen que una "investigación en profundidad" sobre el incidente está en marcha y "se impondrán sanciones".

En un comunicado, el ejército de Israel dice que el incidente es "grave y se desvía completamente de las instrucciones de seguridad de las FDI".

Alec Baldwin popped up at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in NYC -- and blew a gasket at an anti-Israel protester, prompting police to whisk away the actor before the situation escalated.

Baldwin got into a heated back-and-forth with the man at Monday night's march in Manhattan, which was organized by a Palestinian-led community group, Within Our Lifetime. It wasn't clear if Baldwin was part of the protest or just passing through.

Check out the video shot by NBC ... Baldwin offers a stern look to the man who mentions something about Hollywood -- and condemning Israel for the war in the Gaza Strip.

Baldwin responds, "You've already got your mind made up. I'm in Hollywood?"

The man repeatedly asks, "Is that your answer?"

Baldwin shouts, "You ask stupid questions! Ask me a smart question!"

The man starts screaming again about condemning Israel.

That's when Baldwin completely loses his s**t, getting in the man's face and yelling, "Ask me a smart question!!!!"

Luckily, NYPD officers were right there to escort Baldwin away before things potentially turned violent.

Other videos show Baldwin protected by cops as he gets heckled by protesters who are cursing at him.  At one point, Baldwin turns to the demonstrators and says, "You're really helping your cause."

As you know, Israel has been at war with Hamas since October -- and thousands of people have died on both sides.

Hamas militants -- who govern the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip - triggered the conflict after invading Israel, killing 1,400 citizens.

Alec Baldwin apareció en una manifestación pro-palestina en Nueva York y perdió los estribos frente a un protestante anti-israelí, lo que llevó a la policía a retirar al actor de la escena antes de que la situación se intensificara.

Baldwin se enzarzó en un acalorado tira y afloja con el hombre en la marcha del lunes por la noche en Manhattan, organizada por un grupo comunitario palestino, Within Our Lifetime. No está claro si Baldwin estaba participando en la protesta o si solo pasaba por allí.

Echa un vistazo al video grabado por NBC, Baldwin mira severamente al hombre cuando menciona algo acerca de Hollywood y condenar a Israel por la guerra en la Franja de Gaza.

Baldwin responde: "Ya te has hecho una idea. ¿Estoy en Hollywood?"

El hombre pregunta repetidamente: "¿Esa es tu respuesta?"

Baldwin grita: "¡Haces preguntas estúpidas! Hazme una pregunta inteligente".

El hombre empieza a gritar de nuevo sobre condenar a Israel.

Es entonces cuando Baldwin pierde completamente los estribos, encarándose con el hombre y gritándole: "¡Hazme una pregunta inteligente!".

Por suerte, los agentes de policía de Nueva York estaban allí para escoltar a Baldwin antes de que las cosas se pusieran violentas.

Otros videos muestran a Baldwin protegido por los policías mientras es abucheado por manifestantes que lo insultan. En un momento dado, Baldwin se dirige a los manifestantes y les dice: "Realmente están ayudando a vuestra causa".

Como ustedes saben, Israel ha estado en guerra con Hamás desde octubre y miles de personas han muerto en ambos lados.

Los militantes de Hamás, que gobiernan a los palestinos en la Franja de Gaza, desencadenaron el conflicto tras invadir Israel, matando a 1.400 ciudadanos.

Omri Miran is among the Israeli hostages being held captive by Hamas ... and his brother-in-law, a former captain in the Israel Defense Forces, is calling for his safe return ASAP.

Moshe Lavi, the former IDF captain, says Omri was held at gunpoint by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, when he was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Moshe says Omri's wife, his sister Lishay, and the couple's 2 daughters, Roni and Alma, were also held at gunpoint with Omri before ultimately being left behind and rescued by the IDF.

Some hostages have since been released by Hamas, but Omri was not among them ... so Moshe and family members of other hostages are pressuring public officials in Israel and across the globe to do whatever is necessary to bring more hostages home.

Moshe tells TMZ ... his family hasn't received any official word of how Omri is doing in captivity, though hostages released 2 weeks ago claimed Omri was seen alive in one of the Hamas tunnels in Gaza.

Still, Moshe says just because Omri was said to be safe back then doesn't mean he's in good shape now ... as Moshe points out, "Every second in captivity is eternity" ... which is why time is of the essence here.

Of grave concern to all the families is the fact 3 of the remaining hostages were accidentally killed during IDF efforts to take out Hamas militants. The victims have been identified, and Omri is not among them.

But, Moshe is calling on public officials to work day and night to bring Omri and his fellow captives back safely to their loved ones.

Omri Miran es uno de los rehenes israelíes cautivos de Hamás y su cuñado, ex capitán de las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel, pide que sea liberado cuanto antes.

Moshe Lavi, ex capitán de las FDI, dice que Omri fue retenido a punta de pistola por terroristas de Hamás el 7 de octubre, cuando fue secuestrado en su casa del kibutz Nahal Oz. Moshe dice que la esposa de Omri, su hermana Lishay y las dos hijas de la pareja, Roni y Alma, también fueron retenidas a punta de pistola con Omri antes de ser finalmente abandonadas y rescatadas por las FDI.

Algunos rehenes han sido liberados por Hamás, pero Omri no estaba entre ellos, por lo que Moshe y familiares de otros rehenes están presionando a los funcionarios públicos en Israel y en todo el mundo para hacer todo lo necesario para traer más rehenes a casa.

Moshe le dice a TMZ que su familia no ha recibido ninguna palabra oficial de cómo Omri está haciendo en cautiverio, aunque los rehenes liberados hace dos semanas afirmaron que Omri fue visto vivo en uno de los túneles de Hamás en Gaza.

Sin embargo, Moshe dice que solo porque Omri dijo que era seguro en ese entonces, no significa que esté en buena forma ahora. Como Moshe señala: "Cada segundo en cautiverio es la eternidad", por eso el tiempo es esencial aquí.

Como resultado, Moshe está pidiendo que los funcionarios públicos a trabajen día y noche para traer a Omri y a sus compañeros cautivos de vuelta a sus seres queridos.

Bill Maher defies most celebrities who straddle the fence and really say nothing when they "speak out" about the Israel-Hamas war ... he has a very strong POV, which involves a heavy dose of reality and reasonable negotiation.

The 'Real Time' host took his audience all the way back to Bethlehem, which is now controlled by the Palestinians. It used to be 86% Christian ... now it's overwhelmingly Muslim. Things change, BM says.

He goes through a litany of countries that became other countries under different control ... things change. A good example is 30 years of carnage in Northern Ireland, which essentially ended with both sides acknowledging a land shift. Things change.

His overarching point ... Israel is going nowhere -- it's staying put, and the chants of "from the river to the sea" he says are pipe dreams not rooted in reality.

Bill seems pretty clear -- negotiating an end to the war without acknowledgment you can't turn the clock back decades is not only unrealistic -- it cuts both ways. So Bill's saying if Hamas doesn't get real and acknowledge there's no negotiation that involves the elimination of Israel, then they're becoming the modern-day Northern Ireland.

12/11 4:02 PM PT -- Yale President, Peter Salovey, has released a statement on the incident ... claiming it's still unknown if the perpetrator was an actual student at Yale, and correcting information floating around stating the incident happened on campus.

Salovey's statement reads, "Yale condemns in the strongest possible terms the desecration of a menorah on the New Haven Green during the religious holiday of Chanukah. The placement of a Palestinian flag on the menorah conveys a deeply antisemitic message to Jewish residents of New Haven, including members of the Yale community."

He continues, "Yale’s regulations reach conduct occurring on or off campus that imperils the integrity and values of the University community, and if such conduct is committed by a member of the Yale community, we take action. Yale has asked the New Haven police to investigate this incident and Yale may conduct its own investigation. Desecration of property such as a religious object is a crime under Connecticut law."

Salovey says the school does not yet have any info on whether or not the suspect is a member of the Yale community.

A pro-Palestinian student at Yale tried to co-opt the symbol of the current Jewish holiday by planting a Palestinian flag on a menorah.

The student climbed the oversized menorah, the symbol of Hanukkah, as others screamed, "Get the f**k down!," and "It looks bad for us" ... as seen in viral video posted by attorney Jake Dressler.

One student is seen climbing the menorah to 86 the flag. The flag has now been removed.

It's the latest skirmish on college campuses around the country -- especially elite colleges and universities. As you know, the President of the University of Pennsylvania resigned Saturday after a torrent of criticism over her testimony in Congress Monday, where she would not squarely say calling for the genocide of Jews was bullying or harassment.

Liz Magill -- the president of the University of Pennsylvania -- is stepping down after equivocating over the "genocide of Jews" and whether calling for that violated their rules.

The announcement over Magill's resignation came down Saturday straight from Penn itself -- with a statement from a member of the Board of Trustees reading ... "I write to share that President Liz Magill has voluntarily tendered her resignation as President of the University of Pennsylvania. She will remain a tenured faculty member at Penn Carey Law."

This follows a turbulent week on Capitol Hill, where Magill and 2 other presidents of prominent universities -- namely, Harvard and M.I.T. -- were grilled by lawmakers over the rise in antisemitism on college campuses after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel.

When asked by Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican, if calling for the genocide of Jews, in and of itself, violated Penn's rules or code of conduct ... Magill gave a qualifying answer instead of just saying yes or no -- essentially explaining that it depended on the context.

Magill went on to say if the speech Stefanik referred to turned into actual action, it could then potentially constitute harassment. Stefanik gave her yet another opportunity to answer more directly -- again, over whether calling for the genocide of Jews was a rule-breaker -- and Magill kept giving conditional responses ... which turned into a testy exchange.

That all went viral, and Magill later apologized in a video posted to Penn's social media pages -- where she was much more clear ... yes, calling for the genocide of Jews is obviously in violation of the university's policies -- something she should've just said up front.

Just about everyone was stunned that Magill wouldn't just acknowledge that what Stefanik was (literally) asking was terrible and not in line with the university's values -- even if there's nuanced context to what exactly university students are saying/protesting for on campus.

We got into this issue further with a MIT free speech advocate ... who gave us a puzzling response to whether the KKK calling for the genocide of African-Americans on a college campus would be met with the same kind of response as calling for the genocide of Jews.

Apparently, it'd be dealt with differently ... but the reasons for why are still unclear, it seems.

Of course, this all stems from the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas -- which has thrust innocent people into the mix ... and has spurred a lot of people across the country to hit the streets to voice support ... mostly for Palestine. A lot of that rhetoric though -- namely, criticizing Zionism -- has been viewed as outright antisemitic hate speech by some.

Selena Gomez is catching heat over her relationship with Benny Blanco -- and it seems she's dealing with it by leaning on one of her best gal pals ... Taylor Swift.

The singer/actress stepped out Friday night in NYC for what turned out to be an all-female power dinner with not just Taylor -- but Cara Delevingne and Zoe Kravitz as well ... and later in the evening, Anya Taylor-Joy too. Sophie Turner was a tad bit busy, it seems.

Anyway, everybody was dressed to the nines for their pap walk ... including Selena, who was in some sort of snakeskin outfit that looked great on her. She was clearly ready for pics.

The group of ladies are said to have hit up a venue for Brooklyn for a comedy show, and then went to an Italian joint nearby shortly thereafter. As they came and went, the crew was putting on a pretty united front -- with T-Swift, of course, being the main centerpiece.

We know Selena and Taylor are tight, and they've gone out for high-profile dinners like this before ... so on its face, it's just a group of friends getting together to paint the town red.

Now, with the added context of this new "controversy," Selena finds herself in as it pertains to Benny -- whom she confirmed she was dating this week -- it lops on an extra layer of intrigue and speculation, as the timing appears to be too close to be a mere coincidence.

Fact is, fans (and haters) of hers suspect this outing might've likely been coordinated by Selena herself as a way to send a message to everyone who's up in arms about Benny.

That message being ... I'M HERE, AND I AIN'T GONNA BE SHAMED INTO GOING DARK!

Part of the reason she's catching flak over Benny -- aside from the fact people think she's "dating down" by being with him -- is because of this alleged IG comment she apparently responded to over the past 24 hours ... which points to her recent remarks on Palestine.

Someone slammed Selena for feeling the need to be very vocal over her relationship with BB, but shying away from the Palestine-Israel issue and taking a social media break over something objectively more important ... to which she replied "you're right."

If it sounds like an unfair critique ... well, you might have an argument that it totally is.

Joe Biden's L.A. fundraiser was interrupted Friday by screaming pro-Palestinian demonstrators as police in riot gear stood guard, trying to keep the peace.

The 46th Prez arrived by motorcade to last night's political event in Holmby Hills, where dozens of demonstrators had gathered to voice their anger over what they see as the extermination of the Palestinians by Israel.

Scores of Palestinians have been killed since the bloody Israel-Hamas war began in October. At the time, Hamas terrorists invaded the Jewish state and slaughtered 1,400 Israelis, triggering the deadly conflict. Hamas rules over the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

During Friday's fundraiser, demonstrators threw objects at officers and passing vehicles, while holding up signs that read, "No votes for mass murderer," a reference to Biden's 2024 presidential bid. They were also chanting "Free free, Palestine" and "Long Live Palestine."

LAPD Chief Michel Moore said his officers did not have to use force or make any arrests because the demonstrators eventually dispersed.

Meanwhile, Biden delivered a short speech at the celebrity-studded event, calling his 2024 Republican rival, Donald Trump, a threat to democracy. He also talked about his first-term economic successes and the federal judges he has confirmed to the courts.