Jesus wasn’t a Palestinian

Some have objected to the casting of Israeli actors in Netflix’s new film Mary. It’s a demoralising example of misguided attempts to erase Christ’s Jewish identity, says Michael Coren 

Last week Netflix released their long-promised film on the life of the Virgin Mary. It’s not bad but in all honesty it’s not that good either. Nothing too heretical, an over-the-top but still compelling portrayal of Herod by Sir Anthony Hopkins, and rather convincing scenery – most Biblical epics are now filmed in Morocco. Some crucial parts of the Christmas story are omitted for no apparent reason, and some imagined scenes have been added that do nothing to clarify or magnify. The lead actress is competent enough and certainly looks the part, probably because 22-year-old Noa Cohen is Israeli.

And here’s why there are protests against the film and calls to boycott it. With the literal and metaphorical open wound that is Gaza filling our screens, and the understandable anguish of Palestinians, there have been roars that the lead should have been given to a Palestinian actress. Director Daniel John Caruso replied that, “It was important to us that Mary, along with most of our primary cast, be selected from Israel to ensure authenticity.”

Frankly, I’m not overly concerned with the casting, although to be fair I’d challenge you to find many Jewish, let alone Israeli, actors who’ve ever played Mary, Jesus, or any of the disciples on the screen. For many years the leads in Biblical movies looked more Scandinavian than Jewish. More perniciously, for centuries European art emphasized the non-Jewish appearance of Jesus, and the Jewishness of Judas.

But what has been most troubling is…