Netanyahu Denies Israeli Attacks on Christians

Delivering a speech centered on Jewish-Christian solidarity, Netanyahu asserted that Christians enjoy greater protection in Israel than anywhere else in the Middle East. He said this reality was being distorted by what he described as a “campaign of lies”.

The comments come in the wake of growing international criticism over incidents involving Christian communities in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. One of the most recent attacks, on July 17, targeted the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of at least three individuals, reports UNB. 

Addressing an event organized by the Evangelical Christian television network Daystar, and attended by White House faith adviser Paula White, Netanyahu declared: “I can think of no one who can carry this battle alongside with us. We have fought this battle together; we shall win it together.”

He also took aim at the United Nations, accusing it of spreading misinformation. “Stop lying. Stop finding excuses … There is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza,” he said during the 10-minute speech.

However, church leaders in Jerusalem who recently visited Gaza have sharply contradicted Netanyahu’s claims. Calling the humanitarian situation “morally unacceptable”, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, told reporters that people in Gaza are indeed starving, emphasizing, “humanitarian aid is not only necessary; it is a matter of life and death.”