Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for an immediate end to attacks on Christians in Nigeria and other parts of the world.

Mr. Netanyahu made the call in a video message posted on his official X account as part of his Christmas greetings to Christians globally.

“The persecution of Christians, or members of any religion, cannot and must not be tolerated,” he said. “Muslim militant displacement and attacks against Christians in Nigeria must end, and it must end now.”

While condemning the global persecution of Christians, Mr. Netanyahu cited countries in the Middle East, including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey, where Christians are allegedly subjected to discrimination and violence.

Echoing the position of his ally, United States President Donald Trump, Mr. Netanyahu said Israel would always stand with Christians worldwide.

He added that Israel was “the only country in the Middle East where Christians can practise their faith with full rights and in total freedom”, noting that Christian pilgrims were welcomed and that Christmas traditions were openly celebrated.

“In Jerusalem, the city municipality officially distributes Christmas trees every year. It has been doing so for two decades,” he said.

“By contrast, a few days ago in the Palestinian town of Jenin, Palestinians burned a Christmas tree in the Holy Redeemer Church. That’s the difference.”

With Mr. Netanyahu’s comments, Israel has aligned itself with the United States in advancing claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria.

However, other international bodies, including the European Union (EU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), have framed Nigeria’s violence as a broader security challenge rather than targeted religious persecution.

Weeks earlier, Mr. Trump re-designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over allegations of a Christian genocide and warned of possible military intervention if the Nigerian government failed to act.

Nigeria’s government has rejected those claims, insisting that it respects freedom of religion and that victims of violence span all faiths.