Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans for Israel to open what he described as a “new front” aimed at protecting Christian communities in parts of Africa and the Middle East, including Nigeria.
Netanyahu made the disclosure in his New Year’s message published on his official YouTube channel, where he addressed an audience of Christian Zionists. He said Israel was expanding its global engagement beyond direct military confrontations to confront what he described as growing threats to Judeo-Christian values worldwide.
According to the Israeli leader, Israel recently fought and survived what he termed a “seven-front war,” but now faces an additional challenge centred on shaping global public opinion, particularly among young people. He described this as a battle for “hearts and minds.”
“I see the battle against us and the battle against our Judeo-Christian tradition basically being waged around the globe,” Netanyahu said.
He identified what he called “radical Shiite Islam and radical Sunni Islam” as the primary forces behind the threats, naming Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood as leading opposing camps. Netanyahu claimed these groups operate across multiple regions, including Europe, the United States, Africa and Nigeria.
The prime minister asserted that Israel plays a unique role in protecting Christian communities and ensuring their safety and growth. He said Christians were facing persecution in several countries across the Middle East and beyond, specifically mentioning Syria, Lebanon, Nigeria and Turkey.
Netanyahu further announced that Israel was working to establish a coalition of countries—similar in structure to a United Nations-style framework—focused on supporting Christian communities globally, particularly those under threat.
Describing the initiative as a form of reciprocity, Netanyahu said Israel intended to support Christian communities in return for backing it has received from Christian allies.
“Just as you are helping us, we want to help back, and we’re capable of doing this,” he said, noting that Israel’s support would include intelligence cooperation in Africa and other unspecified measures in the Middle East.
He added that the initiative would form a central part of Israel’s agenda moving forward.
