On the occasion of the New Year according to the Orthodox-Julian calendar, corresponding to January 13th in the Western calendar, the President of Israel received the heads of the Christian denominations, foremost among them the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The Israeli President addressed his Christian guests, saying: “My friends, your communities are a blessing to the State of Israel, adding richness, texture, and depth to our beautiful human tapestry. We are committed to ensuring the continued growth and prosperity of Christian communities, with full freedom of religion and worship. This is not merely a political choice; it stems from the very core of our identity as a Jewish and democratic state. I want to emphasize unequivocally: we will continue to protect the holy sites of all faiths and will resolutely and forcefully confront any reprehensible attempts to threaten, harass, or harm religious leaders, institutions, or worshippers.”
The Israeli president’s initiative is considered a significant step in the development of Christian-Israeli relations.
Will this development affect the surrounding Arab Muslim community?
It is difficult to predict a transformation under the control of Islamists in Syria, because the situation on the ground in Syria does not reflect any possibility of rapprochement between Salafist Islam and other religions. This is especially true given the major (intra-Islamic) conflict between the ruling Salafist group in Syria and other Islamic sects. Consequently, the fate of non-Islamic religions will remain uncertain as long as Salafist jihadism controls Syria.
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