Israeli Air Force pilots throw their hats at a graduation ceremony for soldiers who completed the IAF flight course at the Hatzerim Air Base in the Negev, Dec. 29, 2016. Photo: Miriam Alster/Flash90.

JNS.org – For the first time, a Christian Arab Israeli has been accepted into the military’s prestigious pilots course, Israel Hayom has learned.

The young man, whose name cannot be revealed, was among the cadets who began the elite Israeli Air Force (IAF) 179th course three months ago.

The cadet is currently in the initial flight stage of training, after which the IAF makes a round of cuts. Only about 10 percent of the cadets who begin the course complete it and earn their pilot wings in a ceremony held at the Hatzorim Air Force Base.

Only a small cut of Israel’s military recruits are accepted to the hallowed pilots course and those who are must undergo extensive medical testing, as well as drills that test their physical and mental abilities.

Enlistment for Christian Arabs is still in its infancy, but has been gathering steam in the past five years. Despite criticism within Arab society in Israel, several dozen Christians are currently serving in the Israel Defense Forces.