Jewish state will always stand with Christians, Netanyahu says on Christmas Eve

Jerusalem will always stand with its Christian friends in the Middle East and around the world, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Christmas Eve message on Wednesday night.

“I wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year from here, the Holy Land, Israel, the only country in the Middle East where the Christian community is thriving,” the premier said in the video.

Netanyahu noted that the Jewish state is the only country in the region where Christians continue to live “with full rights and in total freedom.”

Where “Christian pilgrims are embraced with open arms and are so deeply appreciated, where Christians can celebrate proudly their traditions, and openly do so without any fear,” he continued.

While the Jerusalem municipality has been distributing free Christmas trees for two decades, Palestinians in the Samaria terror hub of Jenin set aflame a tree last week, he said, emphasizing: “That’s the difference.”

“Israel stands up for Christians across the region wherever they face widespread intimidation and persecution,” according to Netanyahu.

“While Israel’s Christian population is growing, the Christian population in countless areas across the region has been dwindling due to systematic discrimination and oppression,” he added.

The Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Bethlehem in Judea, which Netanyahu called “the birthplace of Jesus,” was 80% Christian when the Israel Defense Forces took control of it in the wake of the 1967 Six-Day War, but under P.A. control it has since dwindled to just 20%, the prime minister noted.

“Persecution of Christians or members of any religion cannot and must not be tolerated,” he stated. “Muslim militant displacement and attack against Christians in Nigeria, that too must end, and it must end now.”

He concluded by saying, “Know that Israel will always stand with you.”

In a separate X post, Israeli President Isaac Herzog wished “all our Christian sisters and brothers in Israel, the Middle East and around the world” a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

“I feel deep pride in Israel’s Christian communities, which are an integral part of our nation,” Herzog wrote, vowing to “protect the freedom of worship for people of all faiths and communities.”

Ahead of Christmas, he had visited the Franciscan Sisters at the St. Antonio Convent, he noted. “We shared a prayer for peace and fraternity, and stood united against all forms of hatred and extremism.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also wished a “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to our Christian friends around the world. May it be a year of joy, health, and prosperity. Merry Christmas!”

According to a Christmas 2025 report by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, the Christian population in Israel stands at approximately 184,200, accounting for 1.9% of the country’s population. The figure represents a 0.7% increase from the previous year.

© JNS