Michael Freeman, Israel’s ambassador to Nigeria, has stated that Israel’s planned agenda for protecting Christian communities in Nigeria will be based on a bilateral intelligence sharing arrangement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the intervention at a meeting with evangelical community leaders in Florida last week.

He mentioned Nigeria as a country where Christians are “persecuted” and praised Israel as the only country in the world capable of safeguarding Christians.

Netanyahu’s declaration attracted mixed reactions from Nigerians, many of whom were still reeling from the unexpected air strikes by the United States on Christmas Day.

In an interview with Arise TV on Monday, Freeman stated that Israel’s assistance would entirely respect Nigerian sovereignty.

“This is about working with Nigeria. This is not about working against Nigeria. It’s working with them as a partner, as an ally and seeing what we can do,” the ambassador said.

“He (Netanyahu) emphasised the issue of intelligence sharing and working in that area, and certainly I think that’s the area that we will be looking at to work with the Nigerian government; to see where we can work together to stop the attacks that are taking place against Christians, but also against Muslims and against all Nigerians.

“Our interest is to work with Nigeria to stop all the violence in this country.”

According to Freeman, Netanyahu’s words were not confined to Nigeria but also included other nations where Christians are persecuted.