Jerusalem of Gold
Father Gabriel Naddaf:
Israeli Priest, and Spiritual Leader of Aramaic believers in Israel, dedicated to integrating the Christian community in Israel within the Israeli society and army (IDF). International Speaker on the persecution of Christians in the Middle East.
"The Jewish roots of Israeli Aramaic Christians and Christian recruitment into the IDF from the Aramaic Christian community."
We met Father Gabriel in an office in Nazareth Illit, Israel, May 2015. Because Father Gabriel supports the Jewish state, he has received numerous death threats from the Arab community. "I have become a controversial figure in Israel for the simple reason that I embrace Zionism, Jewish sovereignty in Israel, and the tolerance, respect, and opportunity that has grown out of that sovereignty for all. " (Jerusalem Post 2015)
"I'm the spiritual leader of the Aramaic believers in the land. Aramaic Christians are now recognised as a group by the Israeli Government. The Christians who lived here a thousand years ago didn't speak Arabic. But after Islamic Saladin conquered parts of Israel, they were forced to speak Arabic, not Aramaic. Finally, after a thousand years, the Aramaic Christians are being recognised as an ancient Christian community, by the Israeli Government, not Arabs. (Christian Arabs can now register as Aramaic Christians, not Arabs, Jerusalem Post, 17/09/2014)
In this region there are 160,000 Aramaics, 20% have a strong identity. But the rest get lost, they go to church, but they are like a tree without a root. And in Europe we also see this liberalism take over too. But, when they see Christian leaders stand up, shouting and speaking up, young people will too. They see in you the second Jesus. That's why they come back. Why did God put us in our place? Just to pray? To fight, to work, to bring other people in!
(Re: Messianic believers) I want to be in contact with everybody, whoever gives me their hand, if they do not want to hurt the State of Israel.
In our communities, we aren't taught Christianity, but Islam. But that was like a personal revolt in me in the last several years. But, at the time, I was new in the church and couldn't change it. But it concerned me that the young people who grew up here didn't have any connection to the land. And they don't understand their roots to the land and to Judaism, as Christianity comes out of Judaism, but they are not taught that. We need to understand that the Old Testament comes out of the New and if we don't have an Old Testament we don't have a New.
But many people in the church like to have ceremonies but don't understand their roots. People die not knowing their identity. I didn't join the church to live in peace. As a child I even felt, "I need to get into this system and make changes." Seventeen years as a priest, it's not easy. I wake up in a dangerous situation, in my work, family, and with Christians. Then I heard from God one morning: "I need you to say in the land of Israel what I tell you, that the Christians in the land are connected to the Jewish people, not as Catholics, Protestants, Greek Orthodox, we are together to guard our future here, to really spread Christianity from here, not a divided faith that takes on itself a new identity, but keeps its roots."
Netanyahu invited me to his office and we founded a forum to develop this idea of Aramaic Christians joining the army. He came to our Christmas event with over a thousand people. We have a new government and, to my benefit, I'm connected to several ministers and we now have permission that our organisation can get public funds. I can't speak for the general (Israeli) population as a whole, and the ultra-religious don't fully understand it. But a big part of the people like what we do. The concern comes from the ultra-religious, they are a bit nervous that we are missionaries, so we give them a way to relax (meaning he gives them assurance). But the organisations, the army and government, fully understand and embrace it (the call of encouraging Aramaic Christians to join the IDF.)
We are a faith of love but we cannot love satan. And satan has entered a lot of people in the Middle East. And I decided in 2012 not to be quiet. I love all people but I don't give anybody (the right) to kill me. I'm sending my kids to the army, not because I love wars, but because I love this land.
My son serves in a combat unit to work hard. Am I not afraid about my son? I need to be like Abraham and preserve and protect the land in the name of God. I didn't send him (my son) to be a killer but to protect us. We're not in a garden of Eden! There are always problems, as you have in your country. But we want to correct these out of love, not hate. You can change political problems, but you cannot solve the problem if they hate you just for being Christian.
Here I am under the rule of Muslims in an area of Nazareth, which is now the largest Arab town in Israel. (Please note: we met Father Gabriel in Nazareth Illit, a Jewish town, adjacent to the Arab town of Nazareth.) So, it's much harder to teach the Aramaic Christians their Hebraic roots. But that's why I want to start with an army school. I am beginning to set this up, without any help from the Greek Orthodox Church. If I'd waited for help I would have died without helping. Many Christian leaders came here. And only a few that I mentioned support.
Three years ago 50 went to army from the Aramaic Christians, the next year 150, this year 300. 90% of them go to combat units. We're not going to offices but to the borders. When there is peace we will go to the offices! It's a small country but a complicated country. When people tell you between Jews, Christians and Arabs there's real love, it's not like that. Houses of Christians in this neighbourhood have been attacked, cursed and men sang the songs of ISIS outside it. And that's inside Israel! Imagine if we don't have the IDF army? They've found 45 Arabs who identify as ISIS right here. But because we're Christians, we give them what they want with us? (meaning submit to evil) Jesus wanted that? I don't think so. I think we are to fight satan.
I'm been half of the last year in California, England, Spain, Geneva, Washington and New York, and I speak to the world to wake up because we don't have time, we don't have another chance. And I explained the situation of Christians in the Middle East and I hope it will change something for them. I make the countries and people responsible for not sending help for Christians. I'm sorry but where is your voice? I'm going to put my voice up until I'm not here anymore. Better to die for living your faith than die afraid. Your visits to the land of Israel are important. And you go back with an important message, and you bring an important message. The people, and Christians, see your love. I call you now to stand on our side to support our organisation who want to protect this land. The organisations that want to destroy this land get a lot of money.
We give scholarships to Christian soldiers, from socially hard families because the son who should have run the business instead goes into the IDF. We want to have a community centre and teach and prepare them about this land. The Protestant churches here don't act as they should, they connect to the other schools (Arab). We want to do pre-army schools, not physically but spiritually, a Christian school connecting them to their Jewish roots. We got some funding from John Hagee.
We would love to welcome you to support us and pray you stay safe.
Comments: Father Gabriel Naddaf is a very dynamic man; calm, strong and set in his faith in Christ, in the face of death threats and intimidation. He can be followed on Facebook and on Twitter @FrGabNaddaf.
If you meet in a Christian group to pray for Israel and Christians in the Middle East, please remember him and his family. His son was attacked in 2013 and his family face intimidation because of his work. Netanyahu said after the attack: "I would like to comment on one other thing, which is unusually severe in my opinion. I have heard about the threats of physical attacks by extremist elements in Israeli society against Christians...who want to enlist in the IDF, who want to be part of the State of Israel. Against these people is an extremist group that is threatening them. We will not tolerate this; I will not tolerate this. We will use all of our tools to stop these thugs and we will allow whoever...wants to link their fate even more to the State of Israel and wants to serve in the IDF to do so. We will protect them” (Times of Israel)