Israel Alone Protects Middle Eastern Christians

In her native Syria, writes Hadeel Oueis, her fellow Christians tended to look favorably on the regime, brutal though it was. In their view, it at least provided them with a modicum of protection—which they could lose if they ever proved unfaithful. Oueis explains that this attitude is typical of Middle Eastern Christian communities, with one exception:

Palestinian Christians . . . publicly criticize Israel and advocate for the abolition of the Jewish state, despite the fact that if this were to occur, the Christians of Palestine would be the first to suffer. The Palestinian Christians, as most of the Christians in the region, are treated unequally and face many challenges posed by Islamists in the West Bank and Gaza. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority itself were responsible for many human-rights violations against Christians that included land theft, denial of employment, and economic boycotts. In Gaza and other cities controlled by the PA, Muslims who have converted to Christianity are at the greatest risk. They are often left defenseless against cruelty by radical Islamists who murdered some converts or indigenous Christians.

Despite this, many Palestinian Christian influencers and intellectuals continued to complain publicly about Israel’s treatment of them. . . . Much of Arabic-speaking Christian intellectuals’ strong hostility to Israel is motivated by the Islamic persecutions they endured. These Christians intended to demonstrate to Muslims that they shared an enemy.

Despite their efforts, however, Palestinian Christians have never been treated equally by organizations such as Hamas. . . . . Many Palestinian Muslims refused to mourn Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian deceased journalist who spent her life opposing Israel, because she’s not a Muslim.

The answer for improving the life of Christians in Israel is not to support the rhetoric of Islamist organizations and militias like Hamas or to collaborate with their sympathizers like the CAIR organization in the United States. . . . Fragile U.S. backing for Israel would only lead to another civil war in the Middle East, which could jeopardize the few Christians left in the region.

Read more at Christian Post

More about: Hamas, Israeli Christians, Middle East Christianity, Palestinian Authority

After Taking Steps toward Reconciliation, Turkey Has Again Turned on Israel

“The Israeli government, blinded by Zionist delusions, seizes not only the UN Security Council but all structures whose mission is to protect peace, human rights, freedom of the press, and democracy,” declared the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a speech on Wednesday. Such over-the-top anti-Israel rhetoric has become par for the course from the Turkish head of state since Hamas’s attack on Israel last year, after which relations between Jerusalem and Ankara have been in what Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak describes as “free fall.”

While Erdogan has always treated Israel with a measure of hostility, the past few years had seen steps to reconciliation. Yanarocak explains this sharp change of direction, which is about much more than the situation in Gaza:

The losses at the March 31, 2024 Turkish municipal elections were an unbearable blow for Erdoğan. . . . In retrospect it appears that Erdoğan’s previous willingness to continue trade relations with Israel pushed some of his once-loyal supporters toward other Islamist political parties, such as the New Welfare Party. To counter this trend, Erdoğan halted trade relations, aiming to neutralize one of the key political tools available to his Islamist rivals.

Unsurprisingly, this decision had a negative impact on Turkish [companies] engaged in trade with Israel. To maintain their long-standing trade relationships, these companies found alternative ways to conduct business through intermediary Mediterranean ports.

The government in Ankara also appears to be concerned about the changing balance of power in the region. The weakening of Iran and Hizballah could create an unfavorable situation for the Assad regime in Syria, [empowering Turkish separatists there]. While Ankara is not fond of the mullahs, its core concern remains Iran’s territorial integrity. From Turkey’s perspective, the disintegration of Iran could set a dangerous precedent for secessionists within its own borders.

Read more at Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security

More about: Iran, Israel diplomacy, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey