Israel probing priest who supports Arab army recruitment

Israeli police say they are investigating a Greek Orthodox priest who has been lauded by Israel for encouraging Arab military enlistment.

Police say Father Gabriel Naddaf has been under investigation for more than a year. Police did not reveal the nature of the charges. A gag order on the case was partially lifted Monday.

Naddaf has been a darling of Israeli nationalists for promoting the recruitment of Christian Arabs into Israel’s military, which generally is taboo for Arabs. He had the honor of lighting a torch at Israel’s Independence Day celebrations in 2016.

At the time, an Israeli news program quoted anonymous people as claiming Naddaf had sought bribes for helping Palestinians obtain Israeli permits. He has denied the accusations.