In Israel, priest draws fire for preaching Christians are not Arabs
(The Christian Science Monitor) A Greek Orthodox priest who has advocated a non-Arab identity for members of Israel’s Christian community is being alternately vilified and praised for spearheading a government campaign to drive a wedge between Christian and Muslim Israelis.
Two years ago, few people beyond his church in Yefia, near the mixed Muslim and Christian city of Nazareth, had heard of Father Gabriel Naddaf. Today he is Israel’s most-talked-about Christian clergyman.
Naddaf’s influence is on the rise after receiving, in recent weeks, greater government backing for his agenda of breaking off Christians from the rest of Israel’s Arab minority, infusing them with a new-old national identity, and aligning with the Jewish majority, including by serving in the army.
