A new biblical epic coming to Netflix this Christmas is garnering backlash online because of the film’s Israeli cast.
Netflix’s “Mary,” coming to the streaming platform on December 6, stars Israeli actress Noa Cohen in the title role and Israeli actor Ido Tako as Joseph, the father of Jesus.
The coming-of-age tale retells the world-famous biblical story through the eyes of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Hosted by DJ Caruso (Concern) and written by Timothy Michael Hayes, this thrilling biblical epic follows Mary, Joseph, and their newborn son, Jesus, as they flee the relentless pursuit of King Herod, portrayed by two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins.” announced the Netflix website.
Since Netflix released the trailer for the film on November 12, it has been relentlessly attacked by anti-Israel critics on social media who are upset by the casting of Israeli actors as Mary and Joseph.
Director DJ Caruso previously championed Israeli actors for the roles.
“It was important to us that Mary, along with most of our primary cast, be chosen from Israel to ensure authenticity,” he told Entertainment Weekly in October.
Some people online are now calling for a boycott, claiming the film is historically inaccurate because Mary and Joseph were actually “Palestinians.”
“Instead of casting Middle Eastern Christians to play the roles, the director cast European Israelis to play the roles for reasons of ‘authenticity’… boycott this crap!” requested an account with a Palestinian flag on its profile.
A video post with over 1.6 million views on X called the director’s decision to cast Israeli actors “heinous”, before calling for a boycott of the film.
“First Netflix removes all Palestinian content and now they air a movie about Mary with an Israeli cast, while those same people are bombing the birthplace of Christ? Boycott this”, wrote the profile with “Free Palestine” in the bio.
“This is a lie, anti-Semitism and blasphemy. Jesus, Mary and everyone in this show should be Palestinian,” another account said.
“So Netflix brings in a white Jewish woman who doesn’t believe in MARY and supports genocide to play a holy Middle Eastern figure..very interesting,” another account posted.
“It is completely disrespectful to portray religious figures in such a trivialized way, especially when it is done for profit or entertainment purposes. Choosing an Israeli actress to play Mary, the mother of Jesus, is not just a choice – it is a clear political statement that trivializes sacred beliefs. Christians around the world revere Mary and to commercialize her image in this way is nothing short of sacrilege,” wrote an X account identifying itself as “ProPakastani”.
The director, Caruso, said in a press release for the film that “it was essential to stay true to the biblical narrative as the foundation of the story,” for “Mary.”
The plot remains faithful to the scriptures, with thoughtful interpretations that enhance the film’s central themes. In short, we intended to honor the scriptures,” he said.
Some pro-Israel accounts mocked the backlash against the film’s casting.
One account shared a 2023 video from the Israeli satire show, Eretz Nehederet, parodying liberal college students who go back in time to lecture Mary and Joseph that they are not Jews, but actually Palestinians.
Netflix did not immediately return a request for comment.
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