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'Jeopardy!' clue on Church of the Nativity sparks controversy
By Vandana Rambaran
Published January 12, 2020
A clue on "Jeopardy!" sparked protests from viewers about the location of a world-famous church in Bethlehem.
Host Alex Trebek read off a clue for $200 from the category "Where's that church?" that read: "Built in the 300s A.D., the Church of the Nativity."
The first contestant to buzz in, Katie Needle, responded: "What is Palestine?" but Trebek rejected her answer, saying, "No."
Another contestant, Jack McGuire, buzzed in with the reply, "What is Israel?" Trebek ruled him correct.
The Church of the Nativity, where many Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, is located in Bethlehem, part of the West Bank. The region has long been the site of conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Furious viewers took to Twitter to chastize Trebek and demand an apology from the show.
Omar Baddar, the deputy director of the non-profit Arab American Institute, decried that Needle was "robbed" and called Trebek's ruling "unacceptable!"
"@Jeopardy owes an apology for endorsing Israel's universally-condemned illegal takeover of Palestinian lands," Baddar tweeted.
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The grassroots group Code Pink launched a petition after Friday's episode demanding that the show apologize "for your politically dangerous inaccuracy."
Representatives for "Jeopardy!" did not immediately respond to Fox News' requests for comment.
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jeopardy-church-of-the-nativity-clue-controversy