|
Trending Topics
|
Source: https://providencemag.com/2026/02/israels-forgotten-christians-1/
Israel's Forgotten Christians
(Providence) Robert Nicholson - More than 70% of Israel's 188,000 Christians live primarily in the north, especially in the Galilee. They play an outsized role in education, medicine, and business. Accounts of Christian life in Israel ignore Israeli Christians like Jacob Hanna, a leading stem-cell researcher; Hossam Haick, a pioneer in nano-sensor technology; and Johnny Srouji, who helped lead Apple's research and development expansion in Israel. Ignored, too, are statistics showing Christians as Israel's most highly educated and most fully employed population per capita. Forgotten as well are the extensive efforts undertaken to protect and preserve Christian holy sites and the fact that the number of churches and chapels in the Holy Land has more than doubled since 1948. George, a young Christian from Haifa, volunteered for the Israel Defense Forces several months before Oct. 7. Christians are exempt from military service by law, but Christian enlistment has been rising steadily for years, a trend that accelerated sharply after Oct. 7. Over the last two years, George fought alongside Jews and Muslims on the front lines of Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon. He wore a cross around his neck and shared foxholes with men of other faiths. He saw friends die. Yet George and his family are more patriotic, more rooted, and more invested in Israel's future than ever.