ByJONATHAN FELDSTEIN

JUNE 13, 2026 11:50

Today G. is deeply rooted in Israeli life. He speaks, thinks and dreams in Hebrew. After earning a degree in industrial engineering and management focused on information systems, he built a career as a product manager in the country high-tech sector. His closest friends are Jewish Israelis and he feels completely at home in the local environment.

Still, Lebanon remains part of him.

For G. daily life in Israel always coexists with memories of South Lebanon and the lingering ache of the sudden departure he and his family made. His experience mirrors that of thousands of Lebanese Christian families who crossed into Israel following the Israeli pullout from South Lebanon in May 2000. More than twenty years later many continue to carry the emotional burden of displacement, split loyalties and worry about Lebanon future.

Entering adulthood in Israel brought fresh difficulties. While his Jewish peers prepared for military service, G. faced a more complex path. His father, scarred by years of conflict and the manner of the withdrawal, dreaded sending another generation into war.

As G. embraced his dual nationality and took pride in both heritages, he wrestled with the reality that the land of his birth and the land where he matured were both entangled in cycles of war. He grappled with questions of belonging and how best to contribute, recognizing that his family trauma, like that of many Israelis, stemmed from events across the northern border.

Another personal challenge soon emerged around relationships and identity.

G. shared a serious relationship with a Jewish Israeli woman for two years. Beneath their affection lay tough conversations about religion, marriage and raising children. Would the children be raised Christian or Jewish? Would the couple wed in a church or through a civil ceremony abroad? Would the children be baptized?

For G. his Christian faith was essential. Although he felt culturally Israeli, his beliefs formed a core part of who he was. The unresolved issues eventually ended the relationship.

The breakup sparked an identity crisis. G. wondered whether he could ever fully integrate into Israeli society or whether his differences would always create distance. Once more he faced the sense of living between two worlds that had followed him since childhood.

Instead of withdrawing, he rebuilt through discipline, spirituality and renewed purpose. Sports and physical training served as therapy. Faith provided stability. Reflection led to personal growth.

Belonging to Israel, Lebanon

Over time G. realized his background gave him a distinctive place: he feels tied to both Israel and Lebanon without contradiction. Rather than viewing this duality as a flaw, he began to see it as a calling.

The calling grew more pressing as Lebanon continued to unravel politically, economically and socially under Hezbollah expanding influence.

G. speaks candidly about the heartbreak felt by many Lebanese Christians and former South Lebanon Army members over their country decline. They recall a nation once known for culture, tourism, openness and coexistence. In their view Hezbollah militarization of Lebanon, supported by Iran, turned the country into a conflict zone and eroded its independence.

For G. the threat from Hezbollah is personal. It has defined every stage of his life.

It drove his family from Lebanon. It helped diminish the Christian presence in parts of the south. Even after settling in Israel the danger continued. Communities in northern Israel have endured years of rocket attacks, border incursions and repeated flare-ups with Hezbollah. Jewish, Arab and Druze Israelis on one side and Christian, Muslim and Druze families on the other live with fear, uncertainty and trauma, all stemming from the same source of Islamic extremism.

G. knows both sides intimately: the fear of living under Hezbollah rule in Lebanon and the fear of living under its rockets in Israel.

Yet he refuses to reduce Lebanon to Hezbollah alone.

Through social media and public talks G. introduces Israelis to a different picture of Lebanon, highlighting its mountains, beaches, culture, food and people. He shares images of journeys he hopes to make if peace arrives. He discusses Lebanese Christians, coexistence, spirituality and the value of accepting others across faiths and backgrounds.

His message stays deliberately hopeful.

In recent months G. has started sharing his experiences through lectures across Israel. He addresses schools, groups, teachers and communities on themes of identity, resilience and integration. His presentations blend history with personal stories, tracing the complex ties between Israel and Lebanon while stressing universal ideas of belonging, perseverance and empathy.

He describes how shame turned into pride, how trauma became growth and how obstacles became purpose.

Central to his talks is a call for deeper understanding among people who often know little about one another. He urges Israelis to see the humanity and complexity of Lebanese society beyond war and terrorism headlines. At the same time he stresses the need to face extremism directly and acknowledge the harm Hezbollah has caused to prospects for peace and stability in Lebanon.

G. vision for the future is both spiritual and practical.

He hopes to create a lasting project that serves as a refuge for those who feel lost, disconnected or broken by life. The center would welcome people of any religion and assist them in emotional and spiritual recovery. Christians, Jews, Muslims and others would come together not around politics but around healing, self-awareness and shared humanity.

That vision mirrors G. himself: a man formed by war who still holds that reconciliation is both possible and essential.

He does not ignore reality. He knows peace between Israel and Lebanon stays far off while Hezbollah keeps military control and regional tensions persist. Yet he believes ordinary people can start building connections long before governments reach formal agreements.

For G. peace begins with storytelling, human connection and the courage to view one another beyond inherited stories of hatred.

His life captures the region contradictions: Lebanese yet Israeli, Christian yet deeply woven into Jewish society, a refugee who became a successful professional, a child of conflict who now speaks of hope.

Perhaps that is exactly why his voice carries weight.

In a region where identity is frequently turned into a weapon, G. offers something uncommon: the conviction that identity can also serve as a bridge.

This is part two of a two-part series.

The writer is the president of the Genesis 123 Foundation, building bridges between Jews and Christians, host of the Inspiration from Zion podcast, and publisher of Israel the Miracle.