Israeli Greek Orthodox Priest Gabriel Naddaf opened the Christians United For Israel (CUFI) Washington Summit on Monday by lauding Israel as the safest country for Christians in the Middle East.
“Today, there is just one country in the Middle East where Christians live in peace and security,” said Naddaf. “In Israel, they have freedom of speech and religion, they can exercise their faith freely, and they have democratic rights.”
“Israel is something we need to protect,” Naddaf continued. “We need to protect its freedom, we have to protect our home, and we have to protect the cradle of Christianity.”
Father Gabriel Naddaf is a resident of Nazareth and an ardent supporter of Israel. He is a priest who actively encourages Christian Arabs to enlist in the IDF and has faced fierce criticism as a result, including threats to his family. Naddaf”s eldest son was physically assaulted in 2013 over what Naddaf attributed to opposition to his pro-military stance.
Father Naddaf was one of the speakers at our annual Washington Summit which took place this week on 17 and 18 July. To see Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu’s video message to CUFI, click here.
