Gabriel Naddaf

Gabriel Naddaf (Arabic: جبرائيل نداف‎‎, Hebrew: גבריאל נדאף‎‎; born August 18, 1973) is an Israeli Greek Orthodox priest. He serves as a judge in Israel's religious court system and as a spokesman for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. He is one of the founders of the Forum for recruiting Christians in the Israel Defense Forces.

Naddaf supports the integration of Christian Arabs in all state institutions, including military and national service. He has been threatened by Israeli Arabs, including politicians. His oldest son, Jubran, was physically attacked in December 2013 for supporting his father's activities. Naddaf has received the support of current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Ministry of Defense, members of the Knesset, and other officials.

In 2016, Naddaf was selected to light a torch at the Israel Independence Day ceremony on Mount Herzl.

Gabriel Naddaf was born in Yafia, an Arab village, mostly Muslim, but with a large Christian minority, which is now part of the metropolitan area of the city of Nazareth in the Galilee. Since 1995, Naddaf has served as a priest in the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, and as a priest of the Greek Orthodox monastery in Nazareth, which belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and is the Christian denomination with the largest affiliation in Israel. He served as a spokesman for the Patriarchate and as a judge in the religious courts of the church.

In 2005, he became known to the general public for the first time, when he and another priest, Fr. Romanos Radwan, petitioned an Israeli court to prevent the overthrow of Patriarch Irenaios I, the attempts failed and Theophilus III, regarded as hostile towards Israel, was elected.

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