Diplomatic Milestone: Lebanon-Born Christian Joins Foreign Ministry Cadet Program

Jonathan Elkhoury has become the first Lebanon-born Christian to join the cadet training program at Israel's Foreign Ministry. The six-month course prepares participants for civil service roles at the ministry in Jerusalem and at diplomatic missions abroad. Elkhoury is one of 36 cadets selected from a pool of nearly 2,000 applicants. The program began on Sunday, marking a new chapter for a group of Lebanese Christians who have lived in Israel since the late 20th century.

Elkhoury left Lebanon in 2001 at age 9 with his family. His relatives included members of the South Lebanon Army, a Christian-led force that fought alongside the Israel Defense Forces from 1985 to 2000. After the IDF withdrew from southern Lebanon, thousands of SLA members relocated to Israel. Elkhoury has since become a vocal pro-Israel advocate. On the social media platform X, he described his acceptance into the program as a natural extension of his family's history. "For me, this was the most natural step in my life story, a direct continuation of the covenant that my parents signed with Israel in the 70s and 80s with the establishment of the SLA in South Lebanon," he wrote. He added that his fate is linked to that of Israel.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar addressed the new cadets at the opening ceremony. He stated that Israel is engaged in a conflict that extends beyond military fronts. "We are fighting a war not only on the battlefield, but also in the battle for public opinion, against powerful forces," Sa'ar said.

On Sunday evening, a prayer hall serving Lebanese Maronite Christians in Nahariya was vandalized. The facility, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, serves former SLA members and their families. Religious icons, including a depiction of Jesus on the cross, were slashed, and statues were shattered. Father Rudy Noura, a community leader, discovered the damage and arrived at the scene at 6:10 p.m. He noted that the Nahariya municipality, police, and the Foreign Ministry contacted him immediately to offer assistance.

The Maronite Archeparchy of Haifa issued a statement calling the incident a grave attack on the sanctity of worship. "We consider this a grave and unacceptable attack, not only on Church property, but above all on the sanctity of a place dedicated to worship and on the right of the faithful to practice their religion freely, safely, and with dignity," the group said. George Deek, the Foreign Ministry's special envoy to the Christian world, described the vandalism as disgraceful. He noted the pain of the attack given the community's history of standing alongside Israel.

An apology note was found on the altar of the prayer hall. Written in English, the note addressed a "deeply valued community." "I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me to make me do that," the note read. It ended with the words "Please forgive me," followed by a drawing of a heart and a cross. Noura said he chose to forgive the perpetrator and expressed compassion for the individual who committed the act.