Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Christians are thriving, the Israeli Prime Minister said in his Christmas address on Thursday.
Benjamin Netanyahu gave his video address outside the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem – one of the largest pro-Israel Christian ministries in the world.
Israel has a special bond with Christians, he said, "because we all know that this land of Israel is the land of our common heritage. It changed the story of humanity, it changed civilisation. What a magnificent heritage it is. Yet, we also know that it is under attack these days."
While people of faith in some parts of the world are subject to "barbarism" and Christians are attacked "with particular vehemence", Netanyahu said: "I'm proud of the fact that in Israel, this is the one place in the Middle East that the Christian community not only survives, but thrives and it's no accident. It's because of our commitment to religious freedom; it's because of our embrace of heritage; it's because of our embrace of our common future."
"We stand with you," he said to persecuted Christians.
"So please come to Israel. Come and visit me, I'm waiting for you."
Christians in the Holy Land will be unlikely to agree universally with Netanyahu's comments. The Kairos Palestine document, which was written by a coalition of Palestinian Christians says of Israel/Palestine: "Religious liberty is severely restricted; the freedom of access to the holy places is denied under the pretext of security. Jerusalem and its holy places are out of bounds for many Christians and Muslims from the West Bank and the Gaza strip."
Netanyahu last week praised US President-elect Donald Trump's controversial proposal to move the US Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, which critics have said would effectively rule out a possible two-state solution.
"Regarding the idea of opening the US Embassy to Jerusalem, I will respond to this in one word: Great," the Israeli PM said.
