Tag Archive for Christian Arabs

Arab-Israeli Christian Soldier: IDF is Most Moral Army in the World

After learning of Harvard University’s decision to host members of the radical anti-IDF organization, “Breaking the Silence,” Yoseph Haddad felt compelled to speak up as an ex-‘minority soldier’ in the IDF.

By Israel Today Staff

 

Israel is facing increased efforts to besmirch both its governmental policies and the conduct of its military, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Christian Arab, Yoseph Haddad, Defends Israel – Photo: Ynet [unattributed]

But that has also resulted in a growing number of minority citizens and soldiers coming forward and exposing the half-truths and outright deceptions employed by the Jewish state’s detractors.

Among them is Yoseph Haddad, a 33-year-old Arab Israeli Christian from Nazareth who served proudly in the IDF during the Second Intifada and the Second Lebanon War. Continue Reading »

Youssef Haddad, Christian Arab, Disabled IDF veteran, combats BDS for Israel

Despite the taunting he received when returning home to Nazareth while serving in an IDF Golani unit, Christian Arab Youssef Haddad, 32, now fights BDS for Israel with ‘Reservists on Duty’ and works to bring Israel’s Arab sector closer to the Jewish State.

By Hassan Shaalan

 

A Christian Arab from Nazareth joined the IDF of his own volition and served in the elite Golani Brigade. During his service, he was wounded in the Second Lebanon War and upon his discharge found another way to serve his country: combating the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign and improving ties between Israeli-Arabs and the state. Continue Reading »

First Christian Arab qualifies for IAF elite pilots course

 

Unlike the Bedouin who have been volunteering for the IDF since the state was founded, Christian Arab enlistment is still relatively new.
• IDF: All roles are open to all recruits provided they meet the stringent IDF requirements as any other soldier.

By Lilach Shoval

 

An Israeli Christian Arab was among the cadets who began the Israeli Air Force 179th pilots course three months ago, Israel Hayom has learned. The young man, whose name cannot be revealed, is the first Christian Arab to make it into the prestigious course.

The cadet is currently in the initial flight stage of the course, after which the IAF makes a round of cuts. Continue Reading »

Int’l media ignores Christmas tree being burnt down by Palestinian Islamists on Christmas Day

 

This latest example of the silent assault on Christians under PA highlights why the Christian population in Bethlehem has nearly disappeared under PA rule, from 60% in 1990 (under Israeli rule) to just 15% last year.

By Arutz Sheva Staff

 

Two Palestinian Arabs have been arrested by Palestinian Authority (PA) Security Forces, after they set a Christmas tree on fire in the Arab Christian majority town of Zababdeh near Jenin in Samaria.

A PA security officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed the arson that took place on Wednesday in statements made Friday in time for Christmas, the Associated Press reports.
Continue Reading »

Islamists Begin Terror Campaign Against Jerusalem’s Christian Arabs

Flyers, distributed to the Arab Christian residents of the North Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina with threats of ‘slaughter’ should they remain, were signed, “ISIS in Palestine”

By Israel Today Staff

 

Flyers made their appearance in the North Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina on Thursday last week, signed by the “ISIS in Palestine” organization, with threats against Arab Christians of the area. Christians are threatened with slaughter if they do not evacuate the area by Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan. The flyer went on to say that one month is enough time and warning for Christians to flee the area to avoid a massacre. Continue Reading »

Israeli Christians: Decades of “Living a Lie” are Over

Father Naddaf explained that he “understands that it is essential to connect Christian Arabs to Israel & the Jews.” Israeli Arab (Muslim) leadership, he said, “has fooled us into living a lie. They call Israel an apartheid state.”

By Yossi Aloni

 

The National Zionist Congress for Youth convened last week to discuss the phenomenon of emigration from the Land of Israel. On what turned out to be a fascinating panel were Mia Morano, widow of IDF special forces officer Emanuel Moreno who was killed in the Second Lebanon War, Israeli priest Father Gabriel Naddaf and IDF Major Elias Karam, the first Arab Christian to join the naval officers’ school.
Continue Reading »

Greek Orthodox Church Sacks Priest who Supported Christian Arab IDF Enlistment

AFP reported Thursday that the Greek Orthodox church dismissed Father Gabriel Nadaf from his post in Nazareth without even bothering to summon him.

By Ari Yashar and Gil Ronen

 

An Israeli Arab Orthodox priest has reportedly been dismissed by the Greek Orthodox church in Israel, after publicly supporting IDF service for Christian Arabs.

PM Netanyahu meets Gabriel Nadaf, Aug. 2013 – Reuters

Church spokesman Essa Musleh told AFP on Thursday that the decision was made on Tuesday to fire Father Gabriel Nadaf from his post in Nazareth, and that the decision was only being made public now.

“We warned him before to keep to his priestly duties and not to interfere in matters of the army,” Musleh said.  Continue Reading »

Arab MK Accused by Christian IDF Recruits of Acting ‘Like a Mafia Member’

Forum for Christian IDF Soldiers filed a formal complaint against Arab Muslim MK Hanin Zoabi, after she threatened their Christian representative in the Knesset.

By Tova Dvorin

 

Sha’adi Halul, the spokesman for the Forum of Christian IDF Soldiers, filed a request to the Attorney General’s Office asking for the removal of immunity for MK Hanin Zoabi (Balad).

The request, which was submitted by legal representative for the forum Attorney Uri Shenhar, calls out Zoabi for turning to Halul in a Knesset Committee meeting last week and calling him a “coward” who “can’t walk the streets of Nazareth and Kfar Kana and present his position” and threatened him, saying that if “you go through the streets of Nazareth and say what you want – they will give you a proper response.” Continue Reading »

IDF reports increase in Israeli Christian recruits

Even though there are only about 300 Christian Arabs serving in the IDF, 84 of them signed up in the last half of 2013, which is 3 times the average rate.

 

The past six months have seen a significant rise in the number of Arab Christians joining the Israel Defense Forces, although their number is still minuscule. The actions of people within the Arab Christian community to integrate their members into Israeli society may be behind the rise – actions that raise the ire of many others, who believe that army service is intended to strike a blow at Palestinian unity.

Continue Reading »

Arabs Proudly Serve in the Israel Defense Force

As it turns out, Israeli Arabs & other Arabic speaking minorities in Israel, proudly & unabashedly speak of their service in the Israeli army.

By Israel Today Staff

 

Israel is often portrayed, even from within, as racist and hateful toward Arabs. Naturally, there couldn’t be any Arabs serving in the Israeli army, and certainly none proudly doing so.

Arabs Proudly Serve in Israeli Army

Mona Lisa Abdo, proud to have served (in a combat unit) in the IDF – Photo courtesy: Screenshot

Not so! The reality is that many thousands of Arabs and Arabic-speakers are not only Israeli soldiers, but outspoken advocates of both the IDF and the Jewish state they serve. Continue Reading »

‘We are not Arabs. We are Arabic Speaking Christians’

 

Many of Israel’s Christians feel that their heritage, culture and even history, has been hijacked by the area’s Muslim Arabs, while they feel a much stronger link to Israel’s Jews.

The Jewish State of Israel is the only middle-east country where we are protected, they say.

By Dror Eydar

 

It was not just any conference. Even the word “historic” would not do it justice. This was nothing short of the shift of an ancient paradigm.

A conference titled “Israeli Christians: Breaking Free? The advent of an independent Christian voice in Israel” in Jerusalem – Photo: Dudi Vaaknin

For a long time we had grown accustomed to thinking about the Middle East as an Arab region. Continue Reading »

Increasing number of Israeli Christians volunteering for national service

Even some Muslim youth are interested as Israeli Christians are doing military and/or national service despite boycotts & denouncements by Arab public figures.

Zeidan Baha’s heartwarming story of how his volunteering as a firefighter was a way to ‘payback’ for his life being saved.

By Daniel Siryoti

 

In recent weeks the activity of the forum to recruit Israeli Christians to the Israel Defense Forces has made headlines. Israeli Arab public figures, both Muslim and Christian, have spoken out against the increasing numbers of young Christians who are interested in enlisting and want to share the burden along with other minorities such as the Bedouin and Druze.

Continue Reading »