Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) attended a ceremony with Christian soldiers.in honor of the Gregorian new year.
Liberman said at the ceremony that "to see here a Christian priest whose son is serving in the Golani brigade, to hear a female Christian soldier discussing candidly her doubts over the decision to serve in the IDF and then to see her serving with excellence, to hear a Christian officer quoting Jabotinsky, an army like this where soldiers from all religions are serving their country together, all with the same rights and opportunities and duties - this is the State of Israel which we want to see and build together with you."
Liberman added that whoever follows events in the Middle East understands that the only country where members of Christian communities can feel a sense of identity and safety is the State of Israel.
He stressed that great efforts are being made to increase the Christian community's involvement in the IDF and to maximize the potential of the community. Among other procedures being adopted there is a plan to establish a pre-military academy for Christian soldiers and to build a monument for Christian soldiers who fell in battle.
Liberman also referred to harassment suffered by Christian soldiers at the hands of those opposed to their enlisting and said that we cannot ignore these acts and cannot accept them. He said every case would be dealt with severely in order to prevent repetition of such behavior.