Netanyahu Emphasizes New Front in Islam’s “War” With the West

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently met with evangelical leaders, seeking continued evangelical support for Israel’s position in the world. Netanyahu emphasized that although Israel has emerged “in many ways victorious” from what he called a “seven-front war,” a new challenge is rising in the West.

“There’s an eighth front,” Netanyahu said, describing a little-discussed struggle “for the hearts and minds of people, especially young people in the West, and for me, especially in the United States.” He framed that effort not only as Israel’s fight but as a broader one. “It’s our common Judeo-Christian civilization’s battle,” he said.

This ideological front requires the same resolve as military action, Fox News reported him saying. “There are some people who believe that faith should be silent and terrorism should be understood,” Netanyahu said. “Faith should speak its voice and terrorism should be confronted, not understood, confronted and defeated.”

The prime minister emphasized the historical and ideological bond between Christian Zionists and Israel. “You are representatives of the Christian Zionists who made Jewish Zionism possible,” he said. “I can say that we have no better friends.”

Netanyahu told the group he had spoken with Trump the day before and described what he sees as global threats facing Israel and its allies. He pointed to “two forces,” identifying “radical Shiite Islam,” led by Iran, and “radical Sunni Islam,” which he said is led by the Muslim Brotherhood. He also highlighted persecution of Christians in multiple regions, saying Christians are being targeted “in Syria, in Lebanon, in Nigeria, in Turkey and beyond,” while arguing that Israel plays a unique protective role.

Yesterday in Florida, I met with leaders of the Evangelical community and Christian institutions.

We discussed our deep historic partnership and the shared fight for values, faith, and identity.

Terror must be confronted and defeated, not justified.

As they stand with… pic.twitter.com/JCY56ZMcUe

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) January 1, 2026

Netanyahu said Israel is working toward broader cooperation to assist Christian communities under threat worldwide. “We are joining an effort to have basically a United Nations of countries that support Christian communities around the world,” he said.

Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, who attended the meeting, later wrote on X that evangelical leaders’ commitment to Israel was “inspiring” and said shared values would “fortify the bond between both our nations.”

–Alan Goforth