Netanyahu: Israel Working on Agenda to Support Persecuted Christians in Nigeria

Chiemelie Ezeobi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel is working on an agenda to support beleaguered and persecuted Christian communities in Nigeria.

Netanyahu spoke on Friday during a meeting with evangelical community leaders in Florida, United States, touting Israel as the only country in the world capable of protecting Christians.

The prime minister’s remarks came a day after his meeting with US President Donald Trump, who had announced air strikes in Nigeria on Christmas Day in fulfilment of his military intervention threat to stop an alleged Christian persecution in the country.

In a video posted on his X page, Netanyahu said, “I see the battle against us and the battle against our Judeo-Christian tradition, basically being waged around the globe. And it’s waged primarily by two forces, radical Shiite Islam and radical Sunni Islam.

“That means the axis that is led by Iran, much battered, admittedly, but still there, and the Sunni axis led by the Muslim Brotherhood, which permeates everything.

“They go to Europe, they go to the United States, they go to Africa, Nigeria. And we are conscious of the fact that Christians are being persecuted, across the Middle East, in Syria, in Lebanon, in Nigeria, in Turkey and beyond.

“We’re also aware of the fact, as you are, that one country protects the Christian community, enables it to grow, defends it, and makes sure that it thrives, and that country is Israel. There is no other. None.”

Netanyahu stated, “We are joining an effort to have basically a united nations or countries that support Christian communities around the world, beleaguered communities who deserve our help.

“Just as you are helping us, we want to help back; and we’re capable of doing this. In Africa, with intel, in the Middle East, with a lot of means that I won’t itemise each one. This is what our agenda is; it’s a main part of our agenda.”