Red Alert: Native Christians in the land of Israel

Today’s Guest: Shadi Khalloul. Shadi is an Israeli whose family lineage in the Holy Land dates back over 5000 years. Shadi is not Arab, not Jewish, not Druze, and not Bedouin. Shadi is a member of a small but formidable Israeli community known as the Aramean and Maronite Christians. These Christians are a Semitic people directly connected to Abraham and the original followers of Jesus in the first century. Arameans speak the Aramaic language—the language of Jesus. Hebrew was a ceremonial language in Israel during the time of Jesus. The Jews and the other inhabitants of Judea, Israel, Samaria, Lebanon, and Syria all spoke Aramaic. Today, Shadi and his community still speak and worship in Aramaic. Shadi is the president of the NGO The Christian Aramean Society of Israel. This organization is dedicated to preserving and recognizing the Aramean Christian community, language, and culture. The organization is also passionate about education and solidarity among the Jewish and Christian communities in Israel. Shadi is a wealth of knowledge about history often omitted from the modern curriculum. Shadi is also passionate about the historical context of today’s war and why truth and knowledge are required to fight the evil manifesting today.