Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a Christmas Eve message from Jerusalem stressing that Israel is “the only country in the Middle East where the Christian community is thriving” and pledged that the Jewish state “will always stand” with Christians worldwide.
Speaking in a video posted Wednesday on his official X account, Netanyahu wished Christians “a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” while underscoring Israel’s role as a regional outlier in protecting Christian life and worship.
“From Jerusalem, I send warm greetings to our Christian friends around the world,” Netanyahu said. “I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
From the Holy Land, he added, Israel is “the only country in the Middle East where the Christian community is thriving,” noting that Christians can practice their faith “with full rights and in total freedom,” and that pilgrims are “embraced with open arms” and able to celebrate their traditions openly “without any fear.”
Netanyahu contrasted Israel’s active protection of Christian life with conditions under Palestinian Authority control, pointing out that while Jerusalem’s municipality distributes Christmas trees every year, a Christmas tree was burned earlier this week outside the Holy Redeemer Church in Jenin.
“That’s the difference,” he said.
The incident Netanyahu referenced occurred Monday in Jenin, where a Christmas tree and nativity scene were destroyed in a pre-dawn arson attack outside the Holy Redeemer Church.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, warning that “under the Palestinian Authority, there is growing hostility toward Christians,” and stressing that “attacks on Christians, their sites and symbols are unacceptable at all times — even more so, as we approach Christmas this week.”
Netanyahu framed the Jenin attack as part of a broader regional pattern, underscoring that while Israel’s Christian population continues to grow, Christian communities across much of the Middle East have steadily declined amid intimidation and persecution.
“This has happened in Iraq, it’s happened in Syria, it’s happened in Lebanon, it’s happened in Turkey, and it’s happening in the Palestinian Authority,” he said.
Turning to Bethlehem, Netanyahu pointed to what he described as a dramatic demographic reversal following the transfer of the city to Palestinian Authority control.
“The birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem, used to have 80% Christian population,” he said. “When we left and gave it to the Palestinian Authority, it has since dwindled from 80% to 20%.”
Multiple historical and demographic accounts support Netanyahu’s assessment. When Bethlehem was under Israeli control following the 1967 war, the city maintained a strong Christian majority. After the Palestinian Authority assumed control in the mid-1990s, the Christian population steadily declined amid reports of intimidation, economic pressure, and Islamist coercion, falling from roughly 80 percent in the 1990s to about 20 percent today.
Netanyahu said the persecution of Christians — or members of any religion — “cannot and must not be tolerated.”
He also singled out Nigeria, condemning Islamist violence targeting Christian communities and calling for an immediate end to the displacement and attacks.
“And Muslim militant displacement and attacks against Christians in Nigeria — that too must end,” Netanyahu said. “And it must end now.”
Netanyahu’s remarks came as Breitbart News reported Wednesday that many Nigerians are considering skipping Christmas travel and celebrations altogether amid fears of jihadist attacks on roads and in rural communities.
Christian leaders in the country have warned that Islamist violence has made Nigeria one of the most dangerous places in the world to practice the Christian faith, urging authorities to provide urgent protection during the Christmas season.
Netanyahu closed his Christmas message with a direct pledge to Christians worldwide.
“I’m sending Israel’s Christmas blessings to our Christian friends around the world,” he said. “And I ask you — know that Israel will always stand with you.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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