Many Christian Arabs proud to be part of Israeli society, ambassador to Christian World says

Summary

The article reports comments by George Deek, Israel’s ambassador and envoy to the Christian world, about the status of Arab Christians in Israel. Deek cited a May public-opinion survey by Tel Aviv University’s Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation. Among Christian Arab respondents, 37.8% identified Israeli identity as the most important part of their personal identity, followed by Arab identity at 33.4%, Palestinian identity at 24.9%, and Christian identity at 3.9%. Deek said Arab Christians in Israel can worship freely, pursue education and careers, and participate in public life, while acknowledging that equal opportunity cannot be taken for granted. He called for investment in Christian towns and institutions, stronger action against crime, discrimination, religious hatred, and harassment, protection of Christian holy sites, and greater Christian participation in policymaking and international representation. The article also describes Deek’s background: he is from a long-established Christian family in Jaffa, joined Israel’s Foreign Ministry in 2008, served as ambassador to Azerbaijan from 2019 to July 2025, and became Israel’s first envoy to the Christian world in April 2026. Deek linked Israel’s survival as a Jewish state to the broader protection of minorities in the Middle East. The article also mentions Israel365’s Israel Truth Network and attributes its launch to a recommendation from the late activist Charlie Kirk.