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Source: http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-arab-israel-a-battle-over-christian-conscription/
In Arab Israel, a Battle over Christian Conscription
(Times of Israel) Elhanan Miller - The Forum for Drafting the Christian Community in Israel was launched in October 2012 by a number of mid-ranking IDF officers, mostly belonging to the Maronite denomination. On its Facebook page, the group defined itself as "Christian Israelis who speak Arabic." Israeli Arabs are exempted by law from military service, but the Christian minority within Arab society has been shaken by the Arab Spring and its Islamist undercurrents. Some 90 Christian high school graduates have joined the IDF in recent months, a threefold increase compared to 2010. The IDF has recently made Christian conscription easier at its Tiberias office, and a special adviser was appointed by the Defense Ministry to deal exclusively with Christians. Father Gabriel Naddaf, a Greek Orthodox priest from Yafia near Nazareth, may be fired from his church position for his positive view of Christian recruitment. "We all live in the same home [in Israel] which we must defend. Our future depends on the state we live in," he said. Dozens of young Christian men and women from across the country have called and emailed Naddaf, asking for his advice. "Participate, and have no fear," he tells them.