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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Stop Christian Enlistment in IDF, Arab Lawmaker Urges Pope |
| 2014-02-24 |
| [Israel Today] Israeli Arab Member of Knesset Basel Ghattas (pictured) has issued an appeal to Pope Francis to personally intervene against the enlistment of Arabic-speaking Christians in the Israeli army. Ha'aretz reports that Ghattas' letter was delivered to the Vatican's representative in Jerusalem, Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, in hopes that Pope Francis would address the issue when he visits the Holy Land in May. Like most other minorities, local Arabic-speaking Christians are not required to serve in the Israeli army, but a growing number are choosing to do so, many at the encouragement of the Nazareth-based Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum. Ghattas and other Arab MKs have grown increasingly hostile toward the activities of the forum. Recently, Ghattas' colleague MK Hanin Zoabi called the forum's spokesman Shadi Haloul a "coward" and threatened that he would be dealt with on the streets of Nazareth. In related news, the Knesset's Labor, Health, and Welfare Committee last Wednesday passed the second and third readings of a new bill that will differentiate between Arab Muslims and Christians. The practical implication of the bill is that Christians will be recognized as an independent minority on local councils and labor committees. For Haloul and others, it means so much more. It means that they can finally step out from under the shadow of an imposed Arab identity. All very, very confusing. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #4 The Christians know they are safer under Jewish control than Arab control. |
| Posted by: Paul D 2014-02-24 13:17 |
| #3 Fuck off you 7th century shit. They are just upset that Arabs could end up killing Arabs under an Israeli flag. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2014-02-24 11:27 |
| #2 Maybe Ghattas should address the persecution of Christians in the West Bank. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2014-02-24 07:53 |
| #1 Are they citizens? If they are Israeli Citizens they should be able to enlist and fight for their country, surely. How about the United States not allow Jews from enlisting in the US military? Same equivalent thing for Arabs to protest Israeli Christians CITIZENS don't have any right to be in the Israeli military. And to ask the Pope to dance in their Arab sh*t for no profit to himself or his Faith is ludicrous. That comes under the heading of the aphorism," Never pet a burning dog." You wonder about Moslem Values sometimes. Were they dropped on their heads when they were born? Arabs like power as long as it BELONG to them. And if you look around at Moslems they sure do the "peace" thing with all the shrapnel and cordite they can find. Religion of Piss. |
| Posted by: Spereting Tingle4064 2014-02-24 04:23 |