Report from Nazareth -

'Christians here have taken on prominent leadership roles in the Arab sector disproportionate to their numbers. For example, Christians can be found in the leadership of Arab political parties and prominent civil rights groups.

Like their co-religionists in neighboring Lebanon and the West Bank, many Christians are outspoken voices for Arab nationalism. That has been an avenue for social acceptance by their fellow Muslims. It's a way, some observers say, to stress their national ties over religious ones.

Some Israeli Christians, especially among the younger generation, are among Israel's most strident voices for forging a Palestinian identity over an Israeli one.

A significant number of the community's emerging activists are graduates of St. Joseph's School in Nazareth -- a complex of courtyards, buildings and playgrounds in the hills above the city known for its academic excellence.

For the past 30 years it has been led by the Rev. Emil Shoufani, a Catholic priest. Sitting in his office overlooking a basketball court where Muslim and Christian students play together during a break, Shoufani speaks of the dangers of religious identity superseding civic ones in a country like Israel.

"If we keep on this path, the conflict will tilt towards a religious one," Shoufani said. "With fear, everyone retreats to their own ghetto.

"The goal today should be to live shared lives," he adds.

As part of his mission to break people out of their communal shells, Shoufani took a group of Israeli Christians, Muslims and Jews to Auschwitz in 2003.

Shoufani says he is pained when he sees his fellow Christians leaving Israel but understands their motivation.

"Christians look toward a better quality of life; they are looking for quiet and stability," he said. "Because the situation is difficult, people look for other places to live." '


Extract from a recent article from the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires which describes itself as 'a democratic forum for the exchange of ideas - Guided by the principles of gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness), tzedakah (justice and righteousness) and tikun olam (repairing the world)