Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says Israel is working on an agenda aimed at supporting embattled Christian communities in Nigeria. Netanyahu made the remarks on Friday during a meeting with evangelical community leaders in Florida, where he described Israel as the only country capable of protecting Christians worldwide. “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,” he said. “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. “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, I won’t itemise each one. This is what our agenda is; it’s a main part of our agenda.” Netanyahu’s comments came a day after he met with US President Donald Trump, who announced air strikes in Nigeria on Christmas Day, fulfilling a military intervention threat aimed at stopping what he described as Christian persecution in the country. On the same day the strikes were carried out, Netanyahu said attacks on Christians in Nigeria must come to an end. Israel is the only country to have publicly backed the US position that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria. The two countries are long-standing and close allies. (BusinessDay, with headline rejigged)

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