Winnipeg — MC Manitoba Friends of Palestine has shared a social media post by American writer and activist Lisa Sharon Harper that compares the actions of ancient Rome to present-day events involving Israel. The post, which references Roman crucifixions, the concept of empire, and the biblical figure of Mary, has generated concern from Jewish community observers who say the comparisons inaccurately frame current events and risk inflaming tensions.

Harper, the founder and president of FreedomRoad.us, is known for writing and speaking about race, faith, and social justice. In the post shared by MC Manitoba Friends of Palestine, she cites the writings of the ancient Jewish historian Josephus. She claims that a Roman general “squashed an attempted insurrection by crucifying 500 people per day.” She then draws a connection between ancient Roman practices, lynchings in the United States in the nineteenth century, and what she describes as “the genocide that followed October 7.”

Jewish organizations have repeatedly stated that the term genocide does not reflect the reality of Israel’s response to Hamas following the October 7 attacks. According to information documented by the Israeli government, Hamas killed approximately 1,200 civilians in Israel and abducted more than 250 people, including children and the elderly. Multiple international security analysts have described the attacks as the deadliest mass killings of Jews since the Holocaust.

Historical Analogies Raise Concerns

Historians contacted by major news outlets in the past have noted that analogies between ancient Rome and modern nation-states are often imprecise and can oversimplify complex historical realities. In her post, Harper describes Roman crucifixion as “state-sanctioned terror,” and suggests that families in ancient Judea would have widely experienced its impact.

While Josephus does document mass crucifixions in certain periods of Roman rule, experts note that these events occurred in specific political contexts and cannot be directly compared to modern military actions or contemporary international law.

Jewish community leaders say that using such analogies to describe Israel’s actions after October 7 misrepresents both ancient history and modern events. They also note that invoking emotionally charged themes without factual context risks deepening misunderstanding about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Reference to October 7 Generates Significant Objection

The most controversial element of the post is Harper’s reference to “the genocide that followed October 7.” Legal scholars and international security analysts have consistently said that genocide requires specific intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Israel has repeatedly stated that its military operations have targeted Hamas, a listed terrorist organization, and not civilians.

Major governments and international bodies, including the United States, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, continue to list Hamas as a terrorist entity responsible for carrying out repeated attacks targeting civilians. Officials have described Israel’s operations in Gaza and in parts of Judea and Samaria as acts of self-defense aimed at preventing future attacks.

Jewish community observers say that describing these actions as genocide ignores the stated objectives of Israeli policy and the documented actions of Hamas before and after October 7.

Theological and Political Themes Intersect

The post also includes an extended interpretation of the biblical story of Mary, suggesting that Roman authorities viewed her as “an object in its story” and “a thing to be manipulated for the gains of the state.” Harper writes that Mary “snatched back the narrative” and “sang the story from her own point of view.”

This blend of theological reflection and contemporary political analogy has become increasingly common in certain activist circles, particularly in North America. However, scholars of religion and politics often caution that these comparisons risk reframing current conflicts in ways that do not reflect historical facts or on-the-ground realities.

Reactions in the Jewish Community

Jewish community advocates in Manitoba say that MC Manitoba Friends of Palestine’s sharing of the post fits a pattern of online content that uses theological themes to reframe modern political conflicts. They argue that these narratives can obscure widely documented facts about the role of Hamas in instigating violence and the nature of Israel’s military response.

Several observers note that Manitoba has seen a rise in antisemitism since October 7, including threats, harassment, and attempts to disrupt Jewish community events. They warn that misrepresentations of history or international law contribute to a climate in which Jewish Canadians feel increasingly unsafe.