Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected accusations on Friday that he had intended to offend Christians when he said the previous day that Jesus had “no advantage” over Genghis Khan. “More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel. Let me be clear: I did not denigrate Jesus Christ at my news conference,” Netanyahu wrote in English on X. A fervent admirer of Jesus Christ, Durant stated that morality by itself is not enough to ensure survival,” he added. Munther Isaac, a Palestinian Lutheran pastor from Bethlehem, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, said on X that Netanyahu’s statement was “offensive on multiple levels”.

Source: Punch March 20, 2026 20:23 UTC