Netanyahu says Israel protects Christians amid criticism over reported abuses
The Israeli prime minister rejected allegations of mistreatment while citing Israel’s protection of Christian communities.
Netanyahu rejected allegations that Israel mistreats Christians and said Israel protects them. The remarks followed reports of attacks and harassment involving Christians in southern Lebanon and Jerusalem, including incidents cited by The Times of Israel and The Wall Street Journal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel protects Christians and that Christians support Israel, according to The Times of Israel, as he dismissed international criticism of Israel and its military.
Netanyahu described the criticism as a global campaign portraying Israel as responsible for war crimes and mistreating minorities. He also called Israel an island of progress, tolerance and security, and reaffirmed a commitment to protecting Syria’s Druze community.
The claims came amid reports of incidents involving Christians. The source cited images allegedly showing an Israeli soldier damaging a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, an attack by hard-line Israelis on a church in Jerusalem, and a Wall Street Journal report describing Israeli youths threatening to spit at Christians near an Armenian church in Jerusalem’s Old City.