Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for an immediate end to attacks on Christians in Nigeria, in a message delivered to Christians around the world on Christmas Eve.

Netanyahu, whose country shares deep historical and religious ties with Christianity, condemned global persecution of the faith. Highlighting Middle Eastern countries including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey, he also drew attention to Nigeria, blaming Islamist militants for the attacks.

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

With this statement, Israel joins the United States in publicly condemning what Trump has described as targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Trump recently re-designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged Christian genocide and warned of possible military intervention if the Nigerian government failed to act.

While international bodies such as the European Union (EU) and ECOWAS have framed violence in Nigeria as a broader security issue, Israel’s stance marks one of the few instances of direct support for the US position on religious persecution in the country.

Concluding his message, Netanyahu pledged Israel’s ongoing support for Christians worldwide, emphasizing solidarity with the faith during the festive period.