Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the country is working on a plan to help Nigeria’s suffering Christian communities.

Netanyahu spoke on Friday at a conference with evangelical community leaders in Florida, praising Israel as the only country in the world capable of safeguarding Christians.

“I see the battle against us and the battle against our Judeo-Christian tradition, basically being waged around the globe. And it’s waged primarily by two forces — radical Shiite Islam and radical Sunni Islam,” he said.

“That means the axis that is led by Iran, much battered, admittedly, but still there, and the Sunni axis led by the Muslim Brotherhood, which permeates everything.

”They go to Europe, they go to the United States, they go to Africa, Nigeria. And we are conscious of the fact that Christians are being persecuted — across the Middle East, in Syria, in Lebanon, in Nigeria, in Turkey and beyond.

“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 thrive — and that country is Israel. There is no other. None.

“We are joining an effort to have basically a united nations or 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; and we’re capable of doing this. In Africa, with intel, in the Middle East, with a lot of means that I won’t itemize each one.

“This is what our agenda is; it’s a main part of our agenda.”

Netanyahu’s comments come a day after he met with US President Donald Trump, who launched air strikes in Nigeria on Christmas Day as part of his military intervention threat to end a claimed Christian persecution in the nation.

On the same day as the strikes, Netanyahu declared assaults on Christians in Nigeria must halt.

Israel is the only country to officially support the US’s allegation of “Christian persecution” in Nigeria.

Both countries are recognised as close allies.