Father Gabriel Naddaf addresses Christian IDF soldiers in December 2014, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (sitting at table in center) in attendance. Photo: Maor X via Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org –  A dozen Christians serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been attacked by Arab Muslims this year, an Israeli Christian leader said.

“So far this year, 12 Christian soldiers have been attacked,” Father Gabriel Naddaf told the Jerusalem Post, adding that “nobody is doing anything about the phenomenon.”

Naddaf is the head of the Israeli Christian Empowerment Council and has led efforts for several years to increase participation of Israeli Christians in the IDF, in addition to facilitating their overall integration into Israeli society.

According to Naddaf, the latest incident occurred Sunday when a group of 10 Arab Muslims allegedly attacked and beat a Christian soldier near Nazareth as he made his way to an army base, leaving him with his head bashed and full of blood. The Muslims “wanted to kill him,” Naddaf said.

Naddaf, whose own son was attacked in December 2013 due to his pro-IDF views, attributes the decline in Christian enlistment in the IDF this year to the threat of Muslim violence.

“I call on the government to quickly put an end to this phenomenon because it will cause Christians to think twice before joining the army,” he said.