Posted: 2/13/2016 1:57:00 PM
Author: Shelle' McDonald
Source: This article originallt appeared on the JNBS.org website on Februuary 11, 2016.
Israeli, Arab, Christian, and gay: Jonathan Elkhoury’s story hits U.S. campuses
by Shelle' McDonald
Jonathan Nizar Elkhoury wants minority populations in Israel to speak up about what life is really like in the Jewish state. He wants the world to know that Israel is a safe haven for persecuted Middle East minorities. For Elkhoury, this isn’t just loose talk. He is gay, Christian, and a Lebanese refugee.
Elkhoury was 9 years old when his family fled war-torn Lebanon for Israel. His father was a soldier in the South Lebanon Army (SLA), which was established in 1982 and was supported by Israel in its fight against the Palestine Liberation Organization and Hezbollah. In 2000, Israel withdrew its troops from Lebanon and the SLA collapsed, leaving the militia with the unsavory options of finding asylum, surrendering, or being captured by the Hezbollah terror group and subsequently put on trial for treason.
