A group of Moslem and Christian leaders in the Middle East has issued a joint statement denouncing recent efforts by Israel to encourage Arab Christian youths to enlist in the IDF as a “Zionist conspiracy aiming not only to divide and weaken the Arab ranks, but also to push Christians to leave their original land.” The Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Atallah Hanna, told The Jordan Times last week that “we reject a policy that forces our children to hold weapons and oppress and kill their own people.” While assuming the right to speak for the entire Israeli-Arab Christian community, he added that those who have already joined the IDF and encouraged others to do so “only represent themselves.”Read More
