In a remarkable and, dare we say, prophetic moment, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week declared his nation’s commitment to defending Christian communities in the Middle East and further afield. Meeting in Florida with prominent leaders from the evangelical world, Netanyahu did more than thank them for their enduring friendship—he cast Israel as the last safe haven for Christians in a region increasingly hostile to them.

“You are representatives of the Christian Zionists who made Jewish Zionism possible,” Netanyahu told the gathering. He went on to assert, “It’s hard for me to conceive of the emergence of the Jewish state, the re-emergence of the Jewish state, without the support of Christian Zionists in the United States.”

For those who understand the roots of Christianity, the moment is thick with meaning. Christianity is not a separate invention—it is a branch that grew out of the Jewish trunk. The Bible, the prophets, and the messianic hope all came through Israel. Without the Jewish people, there is no Yeshua (Jesus). Not because of Israel’s righteousness (this is not about setting Israel itself as an idol), but because that was God’s will. And yet, for centuries, that historical and theological reality was ignored, even violently rejected by the institutional Church. Christian Europe birthed centuries of antisemitism, culminating in the Holocaust.

So it is nothing short of astonishing that today, Jewish Israel counts faithful Christians among its strongest and most loyal allies.

Rather than harboring resentment over the past, Israel has chosen a different path—one of partnership. In the words of Netanyahu, “There are some people who believe that faith should be silent, and terrorism should be understood. No. Faith should speak its voice, and terrorism should be confronted—not understood—confronted and defeated.”

He made clear that the threats facing Israel today are not solely military. “We’ve fought… a seven-front war, and we’ve come out in many ways victorious,” Netanyahu said. “But there’s an eighth front… for the hearts and minds of people, especially young people in the West.”

In that battle, the prime minister sees Christians and Jews as partners in a shared Judeo-Christian civilization. And it’s not just rhetoric. He highlighted real action: “We’re conscious of the fact that Christians are being persecuted across the Middle East, in Syria, in Lebanon, in Nigeria, in Turkey and beyond.”

And then he delivered the line that should resonate across both faith communities: “We’re also aware of the fact, as you are, that one country protects the Christian community, enables it to grow, defends it, and makes sure that it thrives, and that country is Israel. There is no other. None.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team meeting with Christian leaders in Florida on December 31, 2025. Photo by Amos Ben-Gershom/GPO

Netanyahu’s words signal more than political alignment—they mark a spiritual realignment. Israel, once cast as the enemy of the Church, now stands as a guardian of Christians, especially where they are most endangered.

This would have seemed impossible in previous generations. Yet here we are. And Netanyahu isn’t stopping at goodwill and handshakes. “We are joining an effort to have basically a united nations of countries that support Christian communities around the world, beleaguered communities who deserve our help… just as you are helping us, we want to help back.”

It is a divine irony that the one people the Church long vilified now stands as the greatest defender of persecuted Christians in the Middle East and beyond.

This should prompt deep reflection, particularly in the Western Church. How will we respond to this hand of friendship from Jerusalem? Will we stand with Israel as it stands with us?

Netanyahu closed his remarks with a blessing: “May it be a year of prosperity, peace and security for all of us, but especially for the Christian communities around the world.”

May it be so—and may we never forget the remarkable turn of history that has brought us to this place of reconciliation and shared mission.

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