‘Jeopardy!’ Causes Social Media Uproar By Denying Contestant Answer That Bethlehem Is In Palestine

Bruce Haring
Updated

Jeopardy! has stirred the controversy pot by telling a contestant she gave the wrong answer on the alleged birthplace of Jesus Christ when she claimed it was in Palestine.

Aljazeera reports that contestant Katie Needle chose a question on the broadcast that aired Friday in the category “Where’s That Church?” The question in the category asked, “Built in the 300s A.D., the Church of the Nativity.”

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Needle answered by saying the Church of the Nativity was located in Palestine. She was told by host Alex Trebek that the answer was wrong, and then another contestant answered “Israel,” giving a response that was affirmed.

The Church of the Nativity, a World Heritage Site, is located in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, which Aljazeera claims is internationally recognized as part of Palestine.

However, Palestine is not officially recognized as a state by the United Nations, Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and most of the European Union.

Social media responded to the Jeopardy! situation, with some calling for an apology.

Omar Ghraieb, a Palestinian writer who lives in Gaza, told Al Jazeera: “What happened is inexcusable. Jeopardy! should apologize and give a clear explanation. This shouldn’t just pass calmly and be forgotten.” .

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